


The Announcement of Langya (琅琊榜)

by lalunaticscribe



Series: Plum Forest [1]
Category: Chinese Mythology, Chinese Mythology and Folklore - Fandom, 琅琊榜 | Nirvana in Fire (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Chinese Mythology and Folklore, Demons, Historical Fantasy, M/M, Magic, Magic-Users, Shenmo, Time Travel, as a plot device, powers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-02
Updated: 2018-05-07
Packaged: 2018-12-22 22:29:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 32
Words: 98,721
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11976366
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lalunaticscribe/pseuds/lalunaticscribe
Summary: This is written in theLangya Hall Guide to Gods and Monsters in Society, by Ge Hong via planchette writing in commission by the King of Langya in the first year of Yongxi (290 CE):Here is outlined the signposts of history:First: it is through divine mandate that a human would receive the whole world.Second: The one who delivers the divine mandate is heralded by the Qilin, the Divine Talent who would award the world to the one it serves.Third: because these magical talents tend to upset the social order whenever and wherever they appear, they are often associated with the start of a rebellion...***AKA the historical fantasy shenmo version of LYB which has been bandied about on Tumblr a lot.





	1. Prologue: The Historical Record of Magic

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by [BBC Merlin AU](http://likefireinanaviary.tumblr.com/tagged/the-bbc-merlin-au-no-one-asked-for) and [Harry Potter AU](http://rawrded.tumblr.com/post/164717293598/i-havent-been-on-here-in-a-while-but-i-recently) on Tumblr.

#  **Prologue: The Historical Record of Magic**

It can be said that magic was invented first as part of a technique. Like farming, medicine, silk culture, the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors practised magic in the same way that a farmer would practice farming.

The real potential of magic as a method to achieve a specific end could be described as originating in the fall of the Yin dynasty.1 The strategist Jiang Shang, under the employ of the Kings Wen and Wu of Zhou, the first Prime Minister, could have been said to have created the first corps of Taoist mystics to combat the Yin. Composed of heroes such as the Marshal of the Central Altar2, Leizhenzi, and Yang Jian, they fought against King Zhou’s armies. Even the intervention of the Jie sect and its patriarch the Tongtian Grandmaster was unable to save the kingdom from its downfall.3

Magic and the persons associated with it continued to dot much of history. Besides the necessity of controlling winds and summoning rain4 in a primarily agricultural society, magic often wrecked the powers that be and turned the course of history. The rock that Bian He found would be the basis of the powers of the state.5 The Great Qin was brought down by an emperor’s search for immortality.6 It was said that Xiang Yu and Liu Bang both had mystics, or were themselves mystics, who clashed for supremacy of the realm. The reign of Emperor Wu of Han marked the first nationally mandated witch-hunt in Chinese history.7

However, the association of magic could be traced to the end of the Han dynasty. The Yellow Turbans gained followers through their magics of curing illnesses and their proclamations of the Way of Peace. The Yellow Sky they proclaimed might never have come to pass, but it set the stage for the Three Kingdoms to rise.8 Pang Tong, Guo Jia and Sima Yi may have been amongst the notable talents of that age. Yet, who could forget the sleeping dragon and his Stone Sentinel Maze by the Long River?9

If you offend a _fangshi_ , from the outset you were already cursed to death.10

Here is outlined the signposts of history:

First: it is through divine mandate that a human would receive the whole world.

Second: The one who delivers the divine mandate is heralded by the Qilin, the Divine Talent who would award the world to the one it serves.

Third: because these magical talents tend to upset the social order whenever and wherever they appear, they are often associated with the start of a rebellion...

– _Langya Hall Guide to Gods and Monsters in Society_. Written by Ge Hong by planchette writing in commission by the King of Langya in the first year of Yongxi. 11

 

* * *

**1 Also known as the Shang dynasty (circa 1600 BCE – c. 1040 BCE )**

**2 Nezha (哪吒) is a protection deity in Chinese folk religion. His official Taoist name is “Marshal of the Central Altar” (中壇元帥). He was then given the title "Third Lotus Prince" (蓮花三太子) after he became a deity.**

**3 In Fengshen Yanyi, the Zhou side was composed of people allied with the Chan Taoism sect, such as Jiang Ziya, who was taught by Yuanshi Tianzun. Whereas the Yin, or Shang side was supported by the Jie sect, headed by Tongtian Jiaozhu.**

**4 ZH: 呼风唤雨 (hu feng huan yü), to control winds and summon rain. Figuratively: to exercise magic powers; to stir up trouble.**

**5 Bian He is the guy who found the He Shi Jade, which was later carved into the Heirloom Seal of the Realm.**

**6 Qin Shi Huang was said to have died from mercury poisoning by mystics who were employed by him to make the elixir of immortality.**

**7 Empress Chen Jiao employed the services of a witch, Chu Fu, and conducted rituals “with Chu Fu days and nights, drank potions, created nailed voodoo dolls of Consort Wei, and slept together "like husband and wife" with Chu Fu dressed in men's garment.” Witchcraft was already a capital offence then, but Emperor Wu assigned the infamously feared prosecutor Zhang Tang to investigate. After Zhang's massive crackdown, Chu Fu was arrested and executed by decapitation, along with more than 300 other accused individuals.**

**8 The sixteen-character slogan of the Yellow Turbans was: "The Azure Sky is already dead; the Yellow Sky will soon rise. When the year is jiǎzǐ, there will be prosperity under heaven!" (苍天已死，黄天当立。岁在甲子，天下大吉。**

**9 This is of course a reference to Zhuge Liang, who built the Stone Sentinel Maze by the Yangtze River.**

**10 Fangshi (方士 literally: "method master") was a category of Chinese technical specialists that flourished from the third century BCE to the fifth century CE. English translations of fangshi encompass: alchemist, astrologer, diviner, exorcist, geomancer, doctor, magician, mountebank, monk, mystic, necromancer, occultist, omenologist, physician, physiognomist, technician, technologist, thaumaturge, and wizard. Yeah, Chinese wizards don’t seem to specialise.**

**11 Fuji (Chinese: 扶乩/扶箕; pinyin: fújī; Wade–Giles: fu chi) is a method of "planchette writing", or "spirit writing", that uses a suspended sieve or tray to guide a stick which writes Chinese characters in sand or incense ashes.**


	2. 甲子: Gu Poison

#  **甲子** **: Gu Poison**

According to the calendar of Great Liang, in the winter of the fifth year of the Kaiwen era1 an old Master by the surname of Lin brought his son out from their domicile at the summit of Mt Langya. Since it was also the middle of winter, the young master of Langya Hall did not appreciate the cold, no matter how far advanced he was in his study of the medical arts, nor did he eagerly greet the northward journey done not in a carriage which would have had the luxury of being insulated, but in direct flight against the harsh north winds amidst the clouds.

Needless to say, Young Master Lin Chen was irascible when his father finally arrived at the summit of a cliff which stank both of roasted flesh and the poison of snow beetles. “Old man! Why are we at this stinking cliff?”

“Chen’er,” the old master of Langya Hall commented, unheeding of his son’s scowl. “What do you recognise from this place?”

Lin Chen squinted his eyes against the snow-blindness and the blizzards. After a moment of consideration and a chant to ward off the cold, he sighed. “It’s a sink,” was his assessment.

“Correct, but the answer is not all there,” the old master said. “Continue.”

Lin Chen wrinkled his nose. “A lot of people died,” was his assessment. “Recently.”

“Not just died, but died wrongfully,” reproved the old master. “All manner of worms struggling against each other in a container brings forth a  _gu_ curse; that is why the character  _gu_ (蠱) is composed of three bugs (蟲) in a container (皿). This magic is more prevalent in the south, especially in the old Nanyue kingdom, but that does not mean that this magic cannot exist. It is evil not for the purposes it may be used for, but because of the tens of thousands of lives needed to feed it to maintain its strength and alliance with the caster.”

“So... whoever killed all these people here...”

The old master counted on his fingers. “Seventy thousand men and horses,” was his assessment. “Countries have been fallen on less. Battlefields are tricky to clean up. Why do humans never realise that the restless spirits still remain...”

Lin Chen was doing his own calculations. “Old man,” he said at last. “There are two people down there alive. One is destined to run away; the other is destined to meet us- oi!”

This last retort was shouted in response to the old man, who had shoved the young Lin Chen over the cliff.

“ _Old man, I’ll remember this!!!!!_ ”

Lin Chen’s holler was whipped away by the howling winds, even if the same susurration lifted the hems of his robes and floated his body along to a safe landing into a mass of white. Dusting his robes, young Lin Chen huffed and tried to get up, only to fall back onto a bony surface with a grunt.

Underneath his back, something else hissed.

Lin Chen, with his childish face belying the hundred-plus years that he had already been physically cultivating, groaned. “No way, meeting like _this_? Don’t tell me the Qiling this time is a dandelion?”

Further away, a human-shaped mass of white loped gracefully into the forest of bare-branched trees, unseen, unheard, but not unnoticed by two mountain-dwellers from Langya Hall.

* * *

Unknowing of tragedy, a young man had finished diving into the Eastern Sea. In his hands was cradled an oyster, large enough to span both hands.

Nearing the end of the time which he could hold his breath, the oyster began to spew bubbles, and from the bubbles a wide-eyed carp burst forth. The carp metamorphosed before the young man’s eyes, foam pulling at his small-clothes even as the carp elongated to rival a dragon.

“Young man,” wheezed the carp to the stunned Seventh Prince of the Liang Empire. “I hope you are already prepared to rise to the Dragon Gate. Those who dare to take the pearl of a carp should be prepared to rise to the sky!”

It vanished as Xiao Jingyan inhaled sea foam and began choking.

* * *

**1 I don’t remember which episode, but apparently NiF timeline took place around the 18 th year of the Kaiwen era (that is, the old Emperor Xiao Xuan’s reign), so plus-minus about two years for their time. As for the Chiyan massacre, it took place thirteen years before, so approximately the 5th year of Kaiwen.**


	3. 乙丑: The Qilin is a Deer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “No matter how sick you will be, your body would be considered immortal,” the old master recounted. “Your life would be forever spent wandering and hiding. You can never tell anyone your real name, not even a stranger. You will gain a new face, and a new name, but nobody from your past can ever recognise you or you risk heavenly wrath. Do you understand?”

# 乙丑: The Qilin is a Deer

“The Poison of the Bitter Flames is first amongst the mysterious poisons of the world,” the old master of Langya Hall had lectured to a mass of white hair and his young son in the winter of the fifth year of the Kaiwen era. “Though its origins may be traced to the dual yet opposing natures of fire and ice, it is also classed as a poison – therefore, it can also be regarded as one of the  _gu_ so prevalent in Nanyue. The valley under the Cliffs of Mei was a sink for  _qi_  to rest, as with the blood and wronged feelings of an army slaughtered by their fellow countrymen. So many lives struggling for survival in such a sink, inevitably through this freak combination of factors gathered to make you the receptacle of their curse, which manifests as such.”

He then began to tick off symptoms on his hands: “You will suffer several attacks per day, assuaged only by blood, the best of which is human blood, your tongue will stiffen, and white fur has already grown all over you.” He turned on one foot. “As for the direction of this curse...”

The mass of white gave a muffled ‘ _hmph_ ’.

“You are a walking mass of gunpowder waiting for a spark to go off,” the old master told him. “Not even the Great Sage Equal to Heaven has such self-control, and he’s a stone  _monkey_. You? Your mortal flesh will be cut apart and your bones scraped clean as the curse lashes out. You are a monster waiting to become a disaster. We can only hope that when you die and you go down to Hell, the Ten Courts think that you’re a resident of the Water Curtain Cave in the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit, and refuse you entry. You sure look like the grandson of a monkey now.” 1

A pause. The mass of white began to shake, making piteous cries.

“ _Gu_ specialises in spreading plagues,” the old master commented. “For the sake of your country, it is probably best that you die. I don’t have time to train people in the arts.”

The mass stopped shaking.

“Though powerful, you can bleed off its power,” the old-looking demigod knelt down to face the intelligent eyes within the white. “Of course, to use magic, you need to be able to speak the chants. Which leaves you two possible routes.”

A pause. “The first option is to control the poison within your body. You will still look like this, and you will still be unable to speak, but you will live a long life. I recommend this one,” the old master laughed, “citizenship to the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit is very hard to get if you don’t resemble a monkey.”

“ _MMMHHH_!”

“Old man, he just scolded you,” Lin Chen dutifully told him.

“Chen’er, I told you not to hang around that wretched _tiangou_ from the Wa, right?”

“But Feiliu is very fun to play with!”

“You mean to tease.” Old Master Lin harrumphed as two fingers from the white-furred creature poked at the hem of his robes. “The second option involves scraping all the poison out from the bones. The patient, after this procedure, will be bedridden for a year, the entire bone structure will need to be remodelled, and the muscles regrown. The face will change to become normal, if totally unrecognisable from prior features, and normal speaking will be possible. But, the patient will lose any physical ability, the cold will be a constant threat to their life, and their lifespan will be very short. I already calculated your fortune – you will die under this procedure.”

“Old man!” Lin Chen scolded as parts of the white became greyed with damp.

“It can’t be helped!” the old man harrumphed. “Not even this Taoist can save you! Unless...”

Having become depressed over the course of the lecture, the human-shaped dandelion perked up.

He leant down. “Boy,” said the old master, “have you ever heard of a _shijiexian_ (尸解仙)?”

Slowly, the boy shook his head.

“No matter how sick you will be, your body would be considered immortal,” the old master recounted. “Your life would be forever spent wandering and hiding. You can never tell anyone your real name, not even a stranger. You will gain a new face, and a new name, but nobody from your past can ever recognise you or you risk heavenly wrath. Do you understand?”

Slowly, the boy nodded with a rasp:

“ _Do it._ ”

* * *

Twelve years later, Lin Chen resembled a grown man, though the fact that he wore his hair loose spoke about something which separated him from humans on a whole. The script he penned, though graceful, seemed to move by itself under its own power.

 _The radicals in Qilin (_ _麒麟_ _) indicates a deer. However majestic a deer, however wide its horns and how proud its carriage, in a hunt it is destined to fall. The Historic Records_ 2 _contains the following line: ‘The deer lost by Qin was hunted by all under Heaven’, a reference to warlords contesting for supremacy to gain the ultimate prize – the empire lost by the Great Qin. Therefore, the idiom ‘a group of heroes hunting deer’ is a metaphor for warlords contesting for supremacy..._ 3

“Young Master. Your subordinate just received news from the capital of the Northern Yan.”

Lin Chen stopped writing, lifting his rabbit-hair brush. “Is there something that we need to know right now?”

His literally faceless servant bowed. A white pigeon flew in through the window. Ignorant of both human-shaped creatures within the study, it began to unfold itself, its shape collapsing until only a flat piece of paper lay there.

“Northern Yan just named their Sixth Prince the Crown Prince.”

“The attempt was a success, then.”

“Young Master is not surprised.”

Lin Chen sighed. “When someone is employing a magic which could change the very course of history, it’s best to have a trial run first. Toting a  _gu_  curse of that magnitude around might make him a walking bomb, but it gave him the magic he needs so desperately.”

As he spoke, Lin Chen’s hand descended and he continued to write.

“Then, do we need to send a messenger to Jinling?”

“The Yan ambassador is already on his way to the capital. There is no point.” Lin Chen shrugged. “Go file this away. Is there anything else?”

“The Grand Duke Jing of Liang4 has successfully fought off a skirmish of water demons along the south-western border. The Mu clan vanguard troops were also there.”

“Is that so? Send that along to Jinling. I think he would be happy.”

As the messenger left, Lin Chen scowled down at the words in his script:

 _The phrase ‘to whom the deer falls’ therefore means that, no matter who wins, the deer must die._ 5

* * *

Bits and parts of the Long River fell under different jurisdictions. Xiao Jingyan – also called His Highness the Grand Duke Jing of the Liang Empire if someone who adhering really well to royal protocol – knew this in passing. Now he knew this for sure, because barely had his troops forded one wall of dirt meant to shore up the riverbanks, had a dragon risen and started trying to eat horses.

“Which idiot official skimped on the offerings?!” One of his generals, Qi Meng, succinctly summed up what the rest of his troops, including the Grand Duke himself, felt. “Offending a Dragon King is an imperial matter!”6

“That’s not the Dragon King!” A bellow put paid to grumblings as people dressed in the hemp cloths of commoners started to migrate from the banks in great droves. “ _That’s a black python!_ ”

Jingyan pulled aside his usual bow for the other one strapped to the small of his back. An arrow had already been nocked on the bowstring, and the length of its shaft rested on his gloved right index finger. The laminate of the bow stave itself seemed to shine in whatever light there was.

The bowstring twanged against his thumb ring as it left. Its shaft dug through scales.

“Ah, His Highness-”

“Our general still has the best ideas!” Qi Meng shook his head, also starting on his own peach-wood composite bow.

“Zhanying,” Jingyan loosed another bow. “The fire-arrow, please.”

“Yes, Your Highness.” His aide-de-camp Lie Zhanying chivvied his horse closer to the Grand Duke’s own mounted position. Both steeds were impatient warhorses, but the steeds were trained to remain still even as Zhanying wrapped an oil-soaked cloth around the head of one arrow and started sparking a flint. “Don’t bother with the flint.”

Zhanying stopped sparking with a sigh and handed over the arrow. “This close to the Emperor-”

The arrow burst into flames the moment Jingyan nocked it and drew it back. Acrid smoke and an oily sizzle rose from its head and the jaw where the fire-arrow had pierced through. As it released, everyone – from the highest officer to the lowest commoner – were already whispering that  _ah the Seventh Prince knows magic_  as the black python was felled.

“...how many men did it take?”

“Ah...” Lie Zhanying looked back. “Thanks to Your Highness’ effort, it only managed to get a few horses. None of the men or the civilians were... eaten. But, those horses...”

“We can replace them. I still have part of last month’s stipend.”

Lie Zhanying refrained from commenting more. Behind him, the other generals of the Jing contingent had already heard, and the belligerence on their faces already made clear their opinions with regards to the Ministry of Defence and their Grand Duke. To the officials in Jinling, the seventh royal son was not only unfavoured and a military man – he also had the technique which had appeared only with the former Crown Prince. Even bringing up Xiao Jingyan shooting down a python monster like Hou Yi shooting down nine suns would only bring up the inevitable comparison of Hou Yi leading a rebellion.

As the Jing army settled itself for the march home, an old woman leaning on a staff glanced up. “That prince has a Dragon King’s protection.”

Beside her, a young boy cocked his head towards the direction of the army, unseen and unheard. “Don’t know if it’s a blessing or a curse,” was his eventual summation. “He can’t fly or gain strength or live forever, and can’t even teach the technique to the other Princes. I don’t think the current Emperor cares for this Grand Duke’s technique.”

“For Mr Thirteen to say things thus, then Gong Yu must think that this is the one that our Qilin Chief will choose?”

Old man and young boy, having changed forms for the purposes of following this army, shared looks of identical conspiracy.

Said Mr Thirteen, “Our Chief has prepared everything, except for the east wind from this person.7 We’ll continue looking out for the Grand Duke for now. Gong Yu, take to the skies. The Dragon King from this part of the river is already cashing in a favour from Chief.”

Gong Yu frowned. “What would a Dragon King want from Chief?”

At the same time, at the left bank of the river upstream from the Long River, one Mei Changsu was already pointing Feiliu to dump a certain official under the Duke of Qing into the waters. The man flailed and screamed, and then a pair of jaws closed around him.

“...” Chief Mei glanced towards Chief Ji of the Twin Swords Sect. The sizes between one fully outfitted warship and one canoe was a bit, but the powers of one Dragon King under the waters made everyone aboard the warship very conscious that either ship which made the first move would see the wrath of a literal dragon.

“...Looks like I saved Chief Ji from being sunk. How fortunate that this day would see one of Su’s friends continue living.”

“Yes!” Chief Ji motioned for a retreat. “We will definitely retreat for now, and not set sail for the rest of the year. This idea is good! Men, fall back!”

Mei Changsu glanced up to squint at the mist-covered sun over the river. “I think,” he said to nothing in particular, even as Feiliu poked him, “that it’s time to go to Jinling.”

 

* * *

**1 In _Journey to the West_ , Sun Wukong defied Hell's attempt to collect his soul. Instead of reincarnating, he wipes his name out of the Book of Life and Death, along with the names of all monkeys known to him. This action probably placed all residents of the Water Curtain Cave in the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit outside of Hell’s reach – and probably on the path to immortality, though it’s kind of hard to tell sometimes. Old Master Lin used the words ‘grandson of a monkey’ (húsūn [猢猻]), which can mean either a literal or a figurative "monkey" (or "macaque").**

**2 Also known as _Records of the Grand Historian_ by Sima Qian.**

**3 ZH: 群雄逐鹿 (qun xiong zu lu); figuratively: to vie for supremacy.**

**4 According to [Liang Primer by ofsevenseas](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7534060?view_full_work=true), Jingyan is technically a grand duke despite being of royal birth. This is another point where translating Chinese to English just kind of fails, because technically all the princes are ‘kings’ (王). In Imperial China though, there was a distinction between kings who were born part of the royal family (亲王 qin wang), kings who were awarded the title after achieving a great feat AKA grand dukes (郡王 jun wang), and kings who retained their titles after conquest by a larger country (藩王fan wang).**

**5 ZH: 鹿死谁手 (lu si shei shou); figuratively: the one to emerge victorious.**

**6 Chinese mythology tends to ascribe the management of bodies of water to Dragon Kings (龙王 long wang). The Dragon King, also known as the Dragon God, is a Chinese water and weather god. He is regarded as the dispenser of rain as well as the zoomorphic representation of the _yang_ masculine power of generation.**

**7 This is from a Chinese expression 万事俱备，只欠东风 (wan shi ju bei zhi qian dong feng): means ‘everything is ready, all we need is an east wind’; figuratively used to describe something which is lacking only one tiny crucial item.**


	4. 丙寅: Golden City

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "The phrases ‘thunder from a clear sky’ and ‘struck by five bolts of lightning’ were invented to summarise what happens if you get caught."

#  丙寅: Golden City

Lin Chen’s lips thinned. Anyone who had seen a physician before knew that look. It was the kind of thing which presaged terrible bedside manner and calling up Physician Yan. Mei Changsu had actually seen Lin Chen call upon the other physician; it had involved a full moon viewing, peach wine, and drunken yelling from the summit of Mt Langya.

Even then...

“Can you not look like that after you’re done taking my pulse?” Mei Changsu frowned at the young master of Langya Hall. “Are you here to see me off or stop me?”

“Can I stop you?” Lin Chen shot back. “We already calculated it. Twelve years ago, we already knew that you would have to return to Jinling.”

Fortune-telling was amongst the lowest of the skills an immortal would pick up when cultivating in the Taoist arts, but there was a difference between a vague love fortune and being able to tell directly, to the hour, when war would break out between two countries without having even been in those countries. Lin Chen’s portentous warning only reinforced Mei Changsu’s knowledge that this was the right choice.

“Since you know that I have to go back, then help me finish this before the Black and White catch up,” Mei Changsu’s rasp was loud in the mountain silence.

“Immortality confers a lot of time even if the immortal body in question is sick enough for the soul to go down to the Yellow Springs,” was Lin Chen’s arch reply.

“Then tell me. How long more before the Talisman is up and...” he rolled his eyes up, “they take notice?”

Lin Chen scoffed. “ _That_ is not a question. For people like you who die first but have yet to slough off the body’s mortality,1 you fall under the jurisdiction of Hell. Immortality itself is already going against the order of nature, but using this method of faking your death... The phrases ‘thunder from a clear sky’2 and ‘struck by five bolts of lightning’3 were invented to summarise what happens if you get caught.”

“I didn’t even do anything against Heaven and reason!4” Mei Changsu complained. “So, how long do I have?”

“Then tell me how long you need,” Lin Chen condescended back.

“...two years.”

“Two years is alright,” laughed the demi-god, “bring five doctors and five priests to guard against the agents of Hell.”

“...”

Neither of them seemed willing to give way. In the end, Lin Chen rolled his eyes. “Physician Yan agreed to take a two-day sabbatical – luckily, the Peach Garden is overflowing with pharmacists. Remember to invite me to the capital when you run out.”

The things to run out of, neither of them met each other’s eyes.

“Feiliu,” Lin Chen then spoke. “Your Su-gege is about to ditch you~! Do you want to come along to Southern Chu?”

The pit of a pear was flung at him.

“Oi!”

“Pigeon Master, eat seeds!”

“Eat them yourself!”

* * *

Resting at the foot of three hills and at the knee of the Long River, the Liang capital of Jinling was a majestic sight in the distance. Its south gate, the main city gate, was exceptionally solid, having incorporated the City God’s altar directly into the brickwork. Squeezed between the endless stream of people entering the city was an unexceptional blue-roofed carriage. It swayed and inched forward, finally stopping a few dozen feet before the city gate.

“Ah,” a low voice, hoarse with age, exclaimed. “Gan Muren, you bastard!”

Mei Changsu grabbed at his own ears as a clap of sound pervaded the busy city gate. What felt like the time needed to burn a joss-stick passed, before the handsome young man lifted the curtains of the carriage and jumped down. He took a few steps forward, staring with the crowd of people seeking entry into the capital. Everyone from stall-managers to customers to the guards themselves were in awe as an old woman shouted invectives at the spot where Gan Muren had just been incinerated by five bolts of lightning fallen from the azure sky.

The two riders in front of the carriage sensed that something was amiss. They looked behind, then turned their horses in unison and trotted back. The young man at the forefront shouted: “Su- _xiong_ , what’s wrong?”

“Divine punishment!” the hag cackled. “You buried your name and hid from your friends, family and the eyes of Heaven. Heaven has now punished you for throwing us aside!”

“Dear Jade Emperor, Guanyin Bodhisattva, Heaven...” Yan Yujin muttered under his breath, urging his horse away. “My father mentioned this in his studies of the Tao. _Shijiexian_ gained immortality by discarding their birth name, their family and friends to change the fate allotted to them. So, when their past catches up with them... Jingrui, let’s go.”

“It really doesn’t need to be so coincidental? Or cruel?” Xiao Jingrui, the other companion which Mei Changsu had met in Langzhou, reluctantly began to fall back. “People naturally don’t want to die, after all... Su- _xiong_ , are you alright?” His attention was now turned to Mei Changsu, the more immediate concern.

“Y- Yes.”

Yan Yujin gave the older, sickly man a sympathetic eye. Around them, the hustle and bustle of the gates were resuming, only to be broken by more thunder in the distance. On hindsight, it was simply the gallop of horses coming close. “Nowadays even living incurs this cost...”

Mei Changsu did not answer. He remained, gazing steadily above the gate marked with the sign of Jinling. The wind lifted his dark hair – it scattered a few strands across his pale face.

“Are you tired, Su?” Jingrui had caught up, and asked Mei Changsu with concern. “We’re almost there. You’ll be able to get a proper rest today.”

A smile flitted across Mei Changsu’s colourless lips.

“Su- _xiong_ , what’s with you? Surely you would not want to harm your body with sorrow,” Xiao Jingrui comforted Mei Changsu quietly. “Your body is unwell. Inviting you to Jinling was for you to relax and recuperate at my father’s household. We would feel bad if you immerse yourself in grief.”

“So many years have passed, yet Jinling has barely changed. I suppose the capital remains as magnificent as ever past this gate...” Mei Changsu sighed. It would be a magnificent tomb...

A thought suddenly occurred to him.  _Please don’t let_ _Meng_ _-_ dàgē _realise th_ _at it’s me..._

* * *

As the trio of acquaintances and pugilist friends entered the capital, the Grand Duke of Jing was already dismounting at the sight of the charred clothes on the ground. “What is going on?”

At the sight of an armoured warrior who was surely an important person as well, the passers-by quieted as a guard reported the situation, punctured by continued cackles.

“I see,” the Grand Duke spoke. “Take his clothes as a substitute for his body and bury him at the north. Unless, of course, you would prefer that the man comes back to lodge a complaint at the City God Temple.”

Chastened, the guard looked down and scowled. “He abandoned his wife and child for his own life, does he deserves a funeral?”

“Even if he does not, his punishment will be with the Ten Courts of Hell, not with us.”

The guard gave a reluctant, sharp nod. “General still has the best idea. No wonder everyone says that the Seventh Prince was the only one-”

“As a lowly guard, how dare you say anything about His Highness!” One of the Grand Duke’s personal guards shouted, forcing the guards to retreat with many apologies.

Xiao Jingyan did not pay much attention, even as more horses approached in the distance. “Enough. Let’s go.”

“That is...”the guard cowered some more. “His Majesty has said that- Your Highness the Grand Duke Jing must report his presence to the City God first-”

“WHAT?!”

“His Highness is royalty, not- not some random spirit who just gained cognisance!” Qi Meng sounded appalled. “His Majesty wants our Grand Duke to register like some-”

“I hear and obey.” In the face of such lack of royal favour, and the added slap to his pride with regards of his relationship with the other worlds, the Grand Duke only mounted his horse to change direction.

His personal guards followed behind. “Your Highness,” Qi Meng asked, “with your bones, you have all the ability to follow the Tao – none of your royal brothers have this talent. We, as your personal guards-”

“Qi Meng,” Lie Zhanying intervened, “speak for yourself. You might be willing to follow His Highness to leave the secular world, but some of us have families to worry about.”

“Bah!” Qi Meng bristled, though without killing intent. “I’m just speaking the truth.”

“Then is Concubine Jing able to go out as well?” Lie Zhanying archly shot back.

Instantly, both guards lowered their heads, sensing that the conversation had just left normal ribbing into the Grand Duke’s sensitive topics. “Sorry, Your Highness. Please punish us.”

“I,” aid the Grand Duke, looking ahead, “did not hear anything. None of you said anything.”

Qi Meng opened his mouth.

“If you say anything – even a ‘yes’ – latrine duty until the year’s end.”

Teeth clacked shut. The guard were silent for the rest of the trip towards the Royal Palace.

* * *

**1 ZH:  先死後脱 (xian si hou tuo): die first, later break away (from mortality).**

**2 ZH:  晴天霹雳 (qing tian pi li): a bolt from the blue (idiom).**

**3 ZH:  五雷轰顶 (wu lei hong ding): divine punishment.**

**4 ZH:  伤天害理 (shang tian hai li): used to describe bloody atrocities that cry to heaven AKA outrageous acts of evil.**


	5. 丁卯: Awe & Envy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Emperor of Liang, to the surprise of exactly no one, had written the rules for the tournament for the hand of the Grand Duchess Mu Nihuang in marriage. Amongst the long list of qualifications for entrants, besides the usual ‘good family, of similar age, of handsome features, and unmarried’. Everyone in Jinling already knew, from the moment that the matter of the tournament was proclaimed to the world, that it would exclude anyone registered with the Ministry of Rites – that is, anyone registered within the Jinling City God Temple.

# 丁卯: Awe & Envy

Months beforehand, as Mei Changsu followed the young masters Xiao Jingrui and Yan Yujin to Jinling with Feiliu shadowing him the whole way, news of the Divine Talent Mei Changsu had already leaked out to Jinling. The origin of the news was Langya Hall – the Hall of Proclamation. Mysterious enough to have a foot in the worlds above and beyond the mortal plane, Langya Hall’s periodic volumes of lists and profiles seemed like a proclamation upon the world of the talents that existed within it.

“Although the River Left Alliance is a pugilist sect, they make sparing use of sorcery,” a graceful and elegant figure appeared. From her appearance only, her looks could not topple kingdoms and countries, she could indeed stir the hearts of any who looked upon her. That was not strange – there was a reason why the character for ‘charm’ (魅) was paired with the word for ‘ghost’ (鬼), and individuals like Qin Banruo was the reason.

“Interesting, given how the rivers and lakes are often teeming with your kind, Banruo,” her recognised lord assessed. “They have all manner of mystics on their side, I presume.”

Qin Banruo lowered her head. “In his territory, their strength grows, and improves year after year. No one can hold a candle to him.” She sighed. “Even stranger is that he personally knows neither martial nor magical arts, but many experts follow his words. I can only imagine that all his talent comes from an unparalleled wisdom.”

“Should a spirit care about matters of the pugilist world?” The Prince of Yu, Xiao Jinghuan, remarked aloud in his study. “Never mind. How are we to get him to our side? Could you...?”

“In the capital right where the Emperor is, few demons would bother to come, much less live. Banruo is also a little fox compared to some others.” A delicate frown crossed her face for a brief moment. “He would be prepared for the beauty trap, amongst others. There is only one good thing.”

“Hmm?” the Prince of Yu remarked.

“Banruo thinks that the Crown Prince must not have it easy without sorcerers on his side.”

The Prince laughed. “Thank you for reminding me. The Crown Prince is forbidden from exposure to all manner of magic, including  _gu_ curses. Being already in the Eastern Palace, neither he nor the one in Zhaoren Palace can afford to risk everything for the chance to use _magic_.”

At the same time, the current Crown Prince of Liang, Xiao Jingxuan, had been in a panic. The immediate disadvantages of his position loomed large in his mind – divinations barred to him, secret poisons directed against him, the fortune allotted to him diverted away by mystic arts which have and did change the fates of people.

Look at his seventh brother, for one – disfavoured by His Majesty the Emperor, and still with a resounding reputation and a body which, if trained, had the potential to live forever.

“If you’re sure that the Langya Proclamation is talking about Mei Changsu, then our movements must be swift,” he was telling his strongest ally in the fight for the throne at the time. “As long as we get this Divine Talent to side with our Eastern Palace, we wouldn’t repeatedly lose to the Prince of Yu. Send a messenger to Langzhou immediately. He must be the first to speak to Mei Changsu.”

The Marquis of Ning hummed in agreement. As a first-class military marquis, Xie Yu was already familiar with politics in the capital, and his siding with the Crown Prince was one way he was securing his own power. “As Your Highness dictates.”

Xiao Jingxuan sighed once the Marquis had left. Employing mystics had been barred to him – all his contacts who had a foothold in the occult had to be mediated by Xie Yu. More than once, he even envied his now-deceased older brother, and his still-living seventh brother their natural gift as one born with the innate talent to cultivate towards immortality. The bewitching beauty who worked under the Prince of Yu aroused and terrified him in equal measure. It was only reminding himself that ‘Xia fell because of Mei Xi; Yin fell because of Da Ji; Zhou fell because of Bao Si’1 that this Crown Prince, stuffed with luxury and enjoying the fortune and glory of his imperial position, could resist even thinking about long-lived, ever-youthful women with fathomless eyes and beauty awesome enough to topple cities and nations.2

When Qin Banruo smiled, he reminded himself, her incisors were very prominent.

They were not prominent at all. The Crown Prince was simply reminding himself that her true face was that of a monster – Crimson Sleeve House’s selling point were the demonic charms of their ladies, to a point. All of them were so beautiful that it could only be the work of sorcery.

* * *

To be fair, there was a very successful medical woman in Thousand Autumn Pavilion on Spiral Market Street who did facial surgeries, and whose methods frequently involved mysterious concoctions that fetched their price in gold for their effectiveness. The music at Miaoyin Court was said to be the work of fairies. The dancing at Willow House was so supernaturally fine everyone thought it was the work of demons – until the procuress loudly explained the mechanical tricks involved, lying through her teeth about the structural tricks of the building interior. Magic was always prevalent in the oldest trade in the world, and the cheapest way for a demon to have ready access to _yang_ energy.

At Thousand Autumns Pavilion, the medical woman hefted a wrapped bundle. “Miss Gong Yu. What is this?”

“Gong Yu presents a gift from Chief Mei of the River Left Alliance to Miss Lì, who is representing Madame Jiang.” A woman in a yellow dress with a magnificent green coat bowed in deference with the custom. “Madame Jiang may be where the mountains are high and the Emperor is far away3, but custom must be respected.”

“Who are you going to kill?” the woman immediately asked.

“We will notify you when it is time.”

“You want the Madame’s servants in Jinling not to intervene in an assassination, and thus break the understanding between Madame Jiang and Aunt Luo?” Miss Lí sounded doubtful. “The peace of Spiral Market Street and west of Jinling depends on Aunt Luo, and thus has an impact on Madame Jiang’s reputation. Not even those at Crimson Sleeve House would dare to disrespect Madame Jiang like this.”

Gong Yu demurely lowered her head. “We are all of the rivers and lakes, in the end. Chief assures that this gift will resolve any trouble with Madame Jiang.”

Red-light districts like those of Jinling typically had their own enforcement, given both the nature of the location and a good number of enterprising inhabitants. More than one spirit openly showed their tail around Spiral Market Street, and humans readily mixed with all manners of ghosts and demons within the rules of civility. Enforcement of the rules was both unique and more terrible than human authorities could muster; as more than one belligerent young master had found out, a harbinger of bad luck, disease and death following him home to wreck the fortunes of his entire clan was more than enough impetus to behave.

Not even the gods, much less the River Left Alliance, could break the rules with impunity and expect to remain alive or intact long enough to reach Hell before being broken apart, never to reincarnate. Spirits could live for thousands of years and chase any offence down to the offender’s families and end their bloodlines, and this particular demon had old master Lin’s warning in the Langya Hall’s closed entry of the ten great demons.

“Then we will accept the Chief’s gift, with the understanding of certain persons to be protected.” The people that demons cannot allow their own kind to kill – royalty, clergy, the families of clergy, _etcetera_.

“Qiu Zhengping falls into none of the categories.”

“I remember him.” Miss Lí commented. “The boy who was beaten to death. Madame Jiang said that his face was a work of art. Sadly, it was ruined – not even a death mask would suffice. She lost another face for the Painted Skin Art.”

Gong Yu bowed. “All the more reason to stay aside.”

“The Hua clan seems to be making overtures to Aunt Luo,” she changed the subject, since the negotiations were already concluded and the faraway overlords of the Spiral Market Street would let things slide for Mei Changsu for this matter. “History would probably repeat itself – that clan and its princesses like political power too much. In any political unrest, the first ones to be blamed and executed are people like us.”

“There is something that Gong Yu must do here.”

“What a coincidence, then. There are things that everyone must do here.”

* * *

The Emperor of Liang, to the surprise of exactly no one, had written the rules for the tournament for the hand of the Grand Duchess Mu Nihuang in marriage. Amongst the long list of qualifications for entrants, besides the usual ‘good family, of similar age, of handsome features, and unmarried’. Everyone in Jinling already knew, from the moment that the matter of the tournament was proclaimed to the world, that it would exclude anyone registered with the Ministry of Rites – that is, anyone registered within the Jinling City God Temple.

It was a direct opposite to other nations of the Central Plains. The Eastern Sea joke about shrimp soldiers and crab generals4 belied the fact that its weather was directly dependent on the Dragon King of the East Sea’s marriage to their princess; concurrently, it was also based on pacifying the Dragon Queen after the princess’ corpse washed up on the beaches. In Southern Chu, Fangshi who were born with the bones of an immortal were elevated to a higher standing as the ‘children’ of immortals. Great Yu was the direct opposite of Great Liang – Fangshi, demons, spirits, and monks alike populated the literati, the aristocracy. The Great Yu military may as well be called the Demon Army.

Liang was the only country where the discounting of the strange and preternatural was prevalent. Outside of Great Liang, everyone wished to be born with the bones of an immortal and thus rise to nobility by virtue of their innate magic and the possibility of eternity. Within the borders of Liang, it was agreed as best to keep quiet about such unique physiology, or risk a short stop, a sudden drop, and the Xuanjing Bureau at the door. Since the fall of the Chiyan Army, the Empire’s Fangshi5 – those naturally born with the bones of Immortals – were scattered amongst the different armies it commanded. In an army of a hundred thousand, the Fangshi would barely number over a hundred.

Therefore, with the witness of both the Crown Prince and the Prince of Yu, the Emperor first dictated that all Fangshi and demons entering Jinling would have to register first with the City God Temple. Then, he released a second edict that all who registered with the City God Temple were, for the tournament, not to be considered of good descent. Having thus controlled the suitors, he sat back on the Dragon Throne in great satisfaction until the Grand Duke was announced in, an hour after being notified of the seventh royal son waiting outside for the royal summons.6

Dusty and bedraggled by the winds, still in battle-armour, the sight of the Grand Duke’s entry was not polished.

“Your child and subject has returned from the West Mountains camp. I was delayed at the City God Temple, and thus could not report immediately.” The petition was then produced. “Here is the latest military report.”

“Good. Bring it up.”

“Jingyan,” the Crown Prince needled his junior as the Emperor was consulting the report. “Didn’t you know that you were seeing Imperial Father today? Why are you so travel-worn and dusty, and still in armour? Why didn’t you go home and clean up first? Do you consider Imperial Father at all? And... is that blood?”

He was ignored by Jingyan, who continued, “Your child and subject received Imperial Father’s orders at the West Mountains camp to return to the capital within three days. I rushed back and have yet to fix my appearance.”

“Xiao Jingyan, this palace is asking you a question!”7 the Crown Prince threw a temper. “I’m disciplining you for your own good, and you dare to talk back? Are you justified in doing so?”

“Jingyan has always had this sort of temper,” the Prince of Yu stepped in. “Why must Royal Brother argue with him before our Imperial father?”

“Enough, enough, enough,” the Emperor dismissed, putting down the report. “Why are you all fighting?” To Jingyan, he simply commented: “The task was done well, but why hasn’t the temper improved at all, mm? You haven’t changed your habit of contradicting elders at will. We are too lazy to discipline you. Where did the blood come from?”

“A black python monster was terrorising the banks of the Long River on the way back. I shot it away in the process.”

“Ah,” the Prince of Yu spoke up, “was it a Dragon King, Jingyan?”

“It was not. Your child and subject has yet to meet a real Dragon King besides in the Eastern Sea.”

The Emperor scowled, for a moment not the dignified sovereign of the human realm, but Xiao Xuan – a man on the throne faced with powers he could not control, individuals who flagrantly defied imperial laws without caring, and unfavoured children who had received the bones which he had desperately wanted, but was not lucky enough to be born with.

“Alright, go back,” he dismissed, no longer concerned about Jingyan.

The Grand Duke stood up to take his leave. The blood on his cloak was dried, and the rusty streaks on the verdant wool of his cloak, for a moment, seemed to shine like fire. It was a trick of the light, anyone could tell, but the Emperor’s lips thinned.

 

* * *

**1 ZH: 夏亡以妹喜，殷亡以妲己，周亡以褒姒. All three are the commonly cited archetypes of beautiful women who were supposedly the cause of their countries’ destruction in Confucian – and similar – rhetoric. In the novel Fengshen Yanyi, Da Ji is the thousand-year-old fox spirit sent by the goddess Nüwa specifically to charm the king of the Yin (Shang) dynasty and help to bring about its downfall.**

**2 ZH: 倾城倾国 (qing cheng qing guo): an archaic idiom that refers to a beauty which can distract emperors to ignore state affairs, and thus bring about the downfall of the empire. This is archaic, and unfair. By the rhetoric that women charmed the men to create trouble, it ignores other arguably bigger factors like if the emperor was just terrible at policy, systemic problems which plague all dynasties like corruption, military weakness, weather etc. and other societal shortfalls.**

**3 ZH: 山高皇帝远 (shan gao huang di yuan): a Chinese proverb indicating weak connections between the central government and the people. The proverb has thus come to generally mean that central authorities have little influence over local affairs. It is also used to describe a lawless place far from the authorities. Since immortals (仙) in Taoism often refer to a person atop a mountain (人+山), the usage in this context also means that**

**4 ZH: 虾兵蟹将 (xia bing xie jiang), shrimp soldiers and crab generals (in mythology or popular fiction, the army of the Dragon King of the Eastern Sea); figurative idiom for useless troops.**

**5 Fangshi (方士; literally: "method master") was a category of Chinese technical specialists that flourished from the third century BCE to the fifth century CE. English translations of fangshi encompass alchemist, astrologer, diviner, exorcist, geomancer, doctor, magician, mountebank, monk, mystic, necromancer, occultist, omenologist, physician, physiognomist, technician, technologist, thaumaturge, and wizard. I used this word in this fic to describe people who were naturally born with the bones of immortals, those born with the potential to train and cultivate towards immortality.**

**6 When I say an hour, what I mean is our 24-hour system, because ancient Chinese time has a day divided into 12 divisions, called ‘shichen’, sometimes translated as hours.**

**7 Again, strange honorifics usage for first-person. I decided to use the proper honorific only for the first sentence, and then use ‘I’ for subsequent sentences for character speech. The Emperor gets to use the royal We in place of zhen (朕).**


	6. 戊辰: Divergent Path

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meng Zhi nodded, giving him a look. “You better tell me which demon is responsible for your plight then too. What happened to you is too scary, you look seventy per cent ghost. Meng- _dàgē_ will help you beat the demon to its original form!”
> 
> “...”

#  戊辰: Divergent Path

The Grand Duchess Mu Nihuang’s tournament to choose a husband did not exactly start out promising, even if the location of the Phoenix Building was very exclusive. Only witnessing a few rounds, Mei Changsu had been dragged into a meeting with the current two most promising royal princes, both seeking to curry favour with the Divine Talent. Lacking an excuse to fend them off, the Grand Empress Dowager even summoned Yan Yujin, Xiao Jingrui, Nihuang and himself into the Royal Palace.

Then, as if he lacked practice in pretending that everything was fine while walking on eggshells, to put it on not too fine a point, Great-Grandmother said something which immediately cause thunder to roll across the sky outside.

“Little Shu,” asked the Grand Empress Dowager with a bit of a lisp, “Have you married yet?”

She asked all the young ones this question.

“No.”

“You need to hurry!”

“…”

Outside, thunder rumbled.

The three other royal women sitting in attendance of the Grand Empress Dowager started to comment.

“I believe,” said the Empress Yan, “that it is about to rain.”

“That cannot be right,” Noble Consort Yue rebutted. “The royal astronomer said that the weather would be clear for the open stage.”

“...” Grand Princess Liyang did not dignify either of them with a response, because the venerable elder was currently plying her with sweets which were hard to refuse.

The only noble young lady in the group just said: “Let them fight in the rain.”

Although her features were not breathtaking, her clothes simple and her makeup light, there was a heroic air and bright spirit which lent her a charisma beyond finery. Who else besides the female general, the Grand Duchess Mu Nihuang, could possess such a demeanour?

“Little Shu, here is your favourite hazelnut crisps,” the Grand Empress Dowager pressed a baked sweet into his hand. “Come, Little Shu, sit by Great Grandma. You’re afraid of thunder, yes?”

Tears came to her eyes. “Don’t worry, Great-Grandma will protect you.”

The white-haired venerable, having passed the grand old age of ninety, surely was not taken too seriously by the women of the Inner Palace. It was, perhaps, the only saving grace which held back the wrath of the heavens from striking him down in the heart of imperial territory.

* * *

After that unexpected meeting, the Grand Duchess Nihuang delayed him to walk around the palace complex for a chat.

“Mr. Su.” The Grand Duchess began. “I awaited your presence at the Manor of the Marquess of Ning yesterday, only to hear that we were unable to meet you as you were unwell. As I see you today, it seems that you have recovered?”

“Yes, I have recovered.” Mei Changsu answered without care for his false excuse. Yesterday’s royal visit had been avoided with the backing of Xiao Jingrui, who was thankfully gentleman enough to refuse the Empress’ audience for the sake of their friendship.

“I wanted to admire how Mr Mei of River Left would respond to the honour of recruitment from the Empress. A pity.” Grand Duchess Nihuang gave him a once-over, which seemed to encompass wondering if, perhaps, he had been overestimating himself.

“Do you know how your predicament came to be?” she asked.

“Predicament?” Mei Changsu turned.

“I can be certain that, when you return to your tent in a while, the Crown Prince and Prince Yu will go visit you immediately. Do you believe me?”

“I dare not disbelieve the words of Your Highness.”

“Don’t you find it strange?” Her gaze was sharp as a needle and her words cut to the quick. “Yes, you command over the world’s largest pugilist organisation, and the talents of Mr. Mei of River Left is well known. Even so, you still remain a commoner. You should not be able to lend much aid to Court disputes. Yet, why are the Crown Prince and Prince Yu so interested in you?”

“Honestly speaking, I find this rather strange myself,” he grimaced. “I am very mediocre, and gained some fame only through my comrades’ praise. Since Your Highness is so insightful, I beg of you, to please do speak with the two Princes.”

It earned him a laugh. Grand Duchess Nihuang took a long look at Mei Changsu, and followed his eyes into the distance. They gazed at the watchtowers of the imperial city, wreathed in mists. After a long moment, she started slowly, “Your quandary originates from Langya Hall. It is a... an interesting place.”

Mei Changsu was more than familiar with Langya Hall. Langya Hall was very much like a fortune-teller: You enter Langya Hall, you ask a question, a price is quoted – should you accept, then pay, and receive your answer. People have accused Langya Hall of being some oracular scam, like throwing yarrow stalks or bone cracks. “If they cannot answer your question, then they will quote an impossible price. Since you cannot pay, they will not need to answer. Is that not a scam?” This rhetoric, Lin Chen had mentioned, had been used ever since the founding of Langya Hall in the Jin dynasty.

However, carriages still lined up like long dragons at Langya Hall, and money flowed into the Hall like rivers. Everyone still believed that whatever you wished to know, you will receive a satisfying answer as long as you bring enough money into Langya Hall. This authority was better than fortune-telling, in a way which did _not_ seem to involve the Lin family’s skill at casting lots.

“Yes,” answered Mei Changsu lightly, “Some fabrication, the top rank in the List of Gentlemen.”

“The few annual rankings provided by Langya Hall are free, but they are definitely not fabrications.” Nihuang listed: “The world’s ten greatest martial artists; the world’s ten greatest clans; the world’s ten wealthiest people; the world’s ten greatest gentlemen; and the world’s ten most beautiful ladies. Nobody with their name on these major lists is ordinary.”

The corner of Mei Changsu’s lips shifted, but he remained silent. The River Left Alliance sits at the top of the ten great organisations, and the Chief is the top of the List of Gentlemen. Mei Changsu definitely cannot deny this impressive other identity had some uses, such as getting entry into the Imperial Court.

There was another, more secret list; yet; no intelligent supernatural being would ever appreciate the infamy that came with being publicly announced as one of the ten most powerful or whatnot. More than once, Langya Hall had had to revise their announcements because a contender on the mortal lists had been revealed to have supernatural heritage. The ones who have folktales told about them were the stupid ones, the arrogant ones, the ones just seeking attention, and the ones who had very visible divine retribution wrought upon them.

“The River Left Alliance has been the top clan for years, and this is not the first year for Su to be the top rank in the List of Gentlemen either.”

The Grand Duchess chuckled. “The reason for the Crown Prince and Prince Yu’s unusual enthusiasm to recruit you recently is due to a new comment by Langya Hall.”

“What have they said now?”

“The Crown Prince brought heavy rewards with him to Langya Hall, requesting a recommendation for a prodigy to help govern the world. You were... unfortunately recommended.”

“He who does not hold a particular office should not plan its duties,” was Mei Changsu’s frigid response. “Governing the world is still the responsibility of the Emperor right now. What are others worrying about it in advance? Even if I really am a prodigy as Langya Hall states, shouldn’t I only be of use after the new Emperor ascends the throne?”

“Do you think he really wants a prodigy to help the empire?” the female general smirked. “The answer from Langya Hall is really memorable. As far as I know, the answer was thus: ‘Mr. Mei of River, the _Q_ _ilin_ Prodigy. Obtain him to obtain the world’.”

“ _Qilin_?” Mei Changsu laughed. “Does Your Highness think that I have anything to do with that odd-looking creature?”

“You still have the heart to laugh?” Nihuang admired him. “Langya Hall has never been wrong with their comments. This would be a simple matter, if it were merely a Prince amassing talent under his command. However, your predicament turned messy with the comment of ‘ _Q_ _ilin_ Prodigy’. Before obtaining you, both Princes will persist in their efforts. However, once one of them succeeds, then the side that failed will inevitably attempt to destroy you with all their powers. Do you feel nothing else for this situation?”

“Of course I do,” responded Mei Changsu seriously. “I feel that the Master of Langya Hall must have a grudge against me, to speak as if I am no longer human.”

“I suppose that Langya Hall was paying you a compliment,” Nihuang mused. “Like you were the director of fate, to be the one to choose the ruler. For a human to compete with gods and demons would require great talents.”

He studied her, too. She was not your average noble lady, who grew up in some secluded inner palace. The Grand Duchess Mu Nihuang was a brilliant female general, commanding a hundred thousand cavalry at the empire’s southern border. Ten years ago, the Liang Empire’s southern enemy Chu raised war. The Grand Duke of Yunnan, Mu Shen, died in battle, and his daughter Nihuang was appointed commander in the crisis. The entire army battled Chu in cloths of mourning and annihilated thirty thousand enemies. After the war, the Emperor decreed the Grand Duchess Nihuang to defend the southern border in place of her young brother. The whole southern army was under her command. The Grand Duchess also once swore to the heavens that she will not marry until her young brother can inherit the heavy duty of Yunnan.

So the years passed, and she is twenty-seven years old and still unmarried.

The conversation continued for a long moment before the Grand Duchess finally demanded his help. “The Emperor has given an edict that only the top ten candidates from the martial arts tournament will be qualified to take part in the literary tournament. I would like to ask you to be the examiner in the literary tournament and help me rank the people asking for my hand.”

Tactfully declining did not work, so he acquiesced. Mei Changsu gave his reluctant agreement, his gaze never leaving the stage before the Phoenix Building where the blades have yet to stop flashing. “It would be great if there was a fated one for Your Highness amongst these men...”

The Grand Duchess stepped closer and stood shoulder to shoulder with him. Her eyes remained upon the battles below. As if speaking to herself, she asked quietly, “Why didn’t you join?”

“Me?” Mei Changsu chuckled. “With a body like mine, I’m afraid I would be sent flying in the first round. By that time, I would be fortunate not to be a pancake, never mind a   _Q_ _ilin_.”

She burst with laughter at his descriptions. “Sir Su can joke. I wonder, what is your ailment?”

“It is just a chronic illness, currently not life-threatening,” answered Mei Changsu smoothly. He continued to watch the crowd below, his eyes panning from right to left and back until he finally made his excuses.

“The Phoenix Building is ultimately not a place for me to stay long. If Your Highness has no further instructions, it would be best for me to return to the tents below.” And then he smirked. “Besides, if the _Q_ _ilin_ does not return, wouldn’t the Crown Prince and Prince Yu become restless?”

“I will not keep you further, please do as you wish.” Nihuang replied. “I suppose my fateful coincidence is in the hands of Yue Lao.”1

“I believe that Your Highness’ destined one is beyond Yue Lao to choose.”2

According to Lin Chen’s gossip network of the immortals, the god of love from west of Great Qin kept stealing the Lovers’ Record from Lord Yue Lao.3 Of course the Moon Elder wouldn’t have time to mess with Nihuang’s love life, for whichever unknown reason that he would.

Mei Changsu had started planning some heartbroken star-crossed lovers in Langzhou just in case, and then an attending eunuch started to beat on a young palace slave for some reason, which required their intervention and some more. It was at this point that Mei Changsu laid eyes on His Highness the Grand Duke Jing defending the child.

“Who is this?” asked the Grand Duke after the bully had been scared away, regretfully without fire being involved.

“Ah,” Nihuang said. “This is Mr Su Zhe.”

_He’s here!_

_And..._

Mei Changsu’s eyes fell upon the palace boy, who had narrowly escaped a beating for now, and who still hung his head low and silent. The Divine Talent knelt down, face to face with the boy. Under the watchful gaze of the Grand Duke, he began to speak.

Tingsheng. An eleven-year-old boy. Born and trapped in the Secluded Courtyard, with his guardian often at the front-lines. The boy was not a _Fangshi_ – but that meant nothing. The children of mixed unions might not inherit their supernatural parent’s magic.

It just meant that getting the boy out would need work.

Absently, Mei Changsu rubbed the hem of his sleeve between his thumb and index finger.

* * *

Mei Changsu walked slowly with his head lowered in thought. He only raised his head when Feiliu gasped “Ah!” behind him, and saw the strong build walking towards him.

Meng Zhi, as Commander of the Imperial Guards, was in charge of the safety of the Royal Palace. His responsibilities were hefty with the Emperor present, and he needed to patrol the area with extra caution. However, as the commander, he of course knew that Mei Changsu entered the Phoenix Building under summons from the Grand Empress Dowager. So, he did not interrogate Mei Changsu as they met, instead greeted him with a smile.

Mei Changsu gave a soft smile as well, and stopped to bow in greeting. It was as if the two met by coincidence. “Commander Meng. I am Su Zhe.”

“...Twelve years,” the gravelly voice growled. “It’s been twelve years. You’re back at last.”

Overhead, Mei Changsu’s eyes flickered to the skies, which were rapidly darkening. “. Yes. I am back. I am back at last.”

All three twitched as a peal of lightning struck the roof of the palace.

“If anyone finds out...” Meng Zhi gave an unhappy sigh. “...Your situation is... not unknown in the Shaolin Temple. Sometimes... but that is not the point. The point is that if anyone finds out it’s you, nobody can help you.”

Mei Changsu gave an unhappy sigh. “I have become like this. As long as I am not a customer of Thousand Autumns Pavilion, who would believe that I am a criminal from twelve years ago? Unlike you, who recognised me at first glance back at the Marquess of Ning’s manor.”

Meng Zhi changed the subject. “Why are you staying there? You know what kind of person Xie Yu is. If he finds out there’ll be trouble. Move to my house now!”

“You know why I came to the capital,” Mei Changsu spoke in a low voice. Even in the secluded corridor without anyone else in the Imperial Palace, he was cautious. “Living at his house, he would not figure it out. However, you and I cannot reveal that we know each other.”

The Commander gave a frown. “I understand your determination, but the two most powerful princes are fighting for the throne right now. Every official is picking a side, who has time for this matter? Who does not know that this is a capital crime? Don’t tell me you plan to-”

“I have planned for years, so I have my plans,” Mei Changsu’s eyes flickered from side to side. “This will not change. Meet me tonight at the snow cottage.”

Meng Zhi nodded, giving him a look. “You better tell me which demon is responsible for your plight then too. What happened to you is too scary, you look seventy per cent ghost. Meng- _dàgē_ will help you beat the demon to its original form!”

“...”

Mei Changsu and Feiliu made their way back to the snow cottage of the Marquess of Ning after parting ways with the Commander. It seemed like fate itself was aiding them in this endeavour at least, even as Mei Changsu got into the cottage.

He reached into his robes and changed the talisman already inside for another new one on white paper. The one that had been in his robes until recently was yellowed and wrinkling, as if a thousand years of ageing and wear and tear had descended upon it since just this morning. The paper was flung out of the window, right as another bolt struck it right outside the cottage.

“Su-gege.” Feiliu pointed.

“Yes,” Mei Changsu panted. “How many more of them do we have?”

Feiliu mutely held up all his fingers.

“Ten?” Mei Changsu asked, and received a slow nod. “Feiliu, bring me paper, a brush and ink. We need to ask the old master for some more. If just being spoken to would weaken it that much, ten talismans won’t last us for the two years.”

* * *

**1 Yuanfen ( 緣分yuánfèn), "fateful coincidence," is a concept in the Chinese folk religion describing good and bad chances and potential relationships. It can also be translated as "destiny, luck as conditioned by one's past," or "natural affinity among friends. The proverbial saying "have fate without destiny" (有緣無份 yǒu yuán wú fèn) refers to couples who were fated to come together, but not destined to _stay_ together, and as such is sometimes used as a break-up line.**

**2 Yue Lao ( 月老) is the Chinese god of love and marriage. He appears at night, and unites with a red silken cord all predestined couples, after which nothing can prevent their union. This is the reason why there’s a Red String of Fate trope in Chinese and Japanese media.**

**3 Daqin ( 大秦 Dàqín) is the ancient Chinese name for the Roman Empire or, depending on context, the Near East, especially Syria. The Roman god of love is Cupid.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lot of the dialogue here was taken from the translation by apurpleblob, as many of you may have realised. I skipped a few sections because it's already assumed that most readers would know the pertinent details.  
> I don't really like this chapter much personally, but I hope that most readers can bear it.  
> See you all next chapter!  
> \- LLS


	7. 己巳: Child Swordsman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Therefore, it was hardly strange that the Northern Yan representative Baili Qi’s introduction at the hands of Meng Zhi started with “His father is the Single-Horned Demon King of Xiyang Cave on Mt Huanghun. He is a soldier serving under the Fourth Prince of Yan.”
> 
> What was strange in comparison was that the Emperor’s face abruptly lost all colour.

#  己巳: Child Swordsman

“What did you say?” Meng Zhi almost jumped up in astonishment that night when he met Mei Changsu at the Snow Cottage. “Prince Qi has a child?!”

“You didn’t know about this either?” Mei Changsu gave a start. “Jingyan really kept a tight lid on the secret, but that’s hardly surprising. If even the slightest bit of news leaked out, then Tingsheng’s life is forfeit... there are curses which require the youngest of the clan to curse the entire royal bloodline around too...”

“Is it true?” asked Meng Zhi incredulously. “All the men in Prince Qi’s household have died. All the women were seized into the Secluded Courtyard, and anyone who had somewhat of a title was forced into the afterlife within a year. How could there possibly be a surviving orphan?”

Mei Changsu’s eyes were heavy. He thought deeply for a moment and answered, “I cannot deduce the concrete details either. Perhaps some lonely ghost haunting the Secluded Courtyard took pity on him and sheltered his identity – anything is possible. However, the Princess Consort Qi was intelligent and wise, and Xiutong was strong and brave. Besides, everything was in such chaos then. They could have fought to preserve him, and have him hidden away within the Secluded Courtyard. Going by the way Jingyan cares for Tingsheng, he had probably confirmed the child’s identity. There should be no mistake.”

“What about his looks? Does he look like Prince Qi?”

“The child had been tormented since birth. He is jaundiced and thin, so it’s hard to tell. However, sometimes you’ll see a shadow of his father around his brows and eyes.”

“Since Grand Duke Jing knew that he is Prince Qi’s child, why didn’t he take better care of him? The child went through so much suffering!” Meng Zhi couldn’t hold back his complaints.

“He doesn’t have a choice either,” Mei Changsu pointed out. “It would inevitably raise suspicions if he looks after a little palace servant out of the blue. If Tingsheng’s identity is revealed by some accident, do you think the Crown Prince and Prince Yu would simply leave it alone? Furthermore, he is often out of the capital on the front-lines. It is not at all suitable for a child.”

“We can’t just let the child stay in a place like the Secluded Courtyard!” Meng Zhi stood up passionately and began to pace back and forth in the room.

Feiliu sat up in his bed and stared at him with icy eyes, fully alert. Some quality in his eyes reminded Meng Zhi of a bird – a crow, intelligent and vicious.

“Let’s sleep, Feiliu.” Mei Changsu turned and coaxed Feiliu, then turned to Meng Zhi. “Sit down first, Meng- _dàgē_. I know you’re worried, but don’t you think that Jingyan and I are worried as well? We must save Tingsheng. However, the plan must be absolutely foolproof, and we must rescue him without harm.”

“Do you already have a plan?” Meng Zhi demanded.

“I have a rough idea, but I still need to hammer out the details. We can’t rush this.” Mei Changsu gave a sidelong look at Meng Zhi and raised his eyebrows. “Meng- _dàgē_ , you’re the greatest warrior of Liang now, and carry the heavy responsibility of protecting the Emperor. I’ve heard people praise you from as far as Lang Prefecture for your calmness and strong will. How come you’re having such trouble containing yourself today?”

Meng Zhi scratched his head and gave a long sigh. “I don’t know what it is either. In any other situation, it wouldn’t be hard for me to maintain my composure. Speaking to you right now, though, I feel like I returned to my =reckless younger self... Do you still remember the Battle of Gourd Valley? If it were not for Prince Qi’s three orders holding back my reins, I probably would’ve charged straight into the enemy’s trap. If I let Gourd Valley fall, your esteemed father definitely would’ve plucked my head off and give it a great kick.”

“...” Mei Changsu’s eyes slid to the window, before he delicately replied: “he also said later that he cannot compare to Prince Qi in regards to identifying talents. Prince Qi could single you out from thousands of soldiers during a single battle practise, even though you were not the most spectacular. My father could not match his great judgement.”

“But who could compare with your esteemed father in terms of his ingenious and formidable command over his troops? Oh, how glorious the Chiyan Army was in those years.” As he spoke of old memories, Meng Zhi watched the window as a flash of light behind the rice paper which covered the frame.

Meng Zhi grabbed his teacup and took a big gulp, lamenting, “It’s such a pity that I was forcefully transferred away from the Red Flames before I was there for long. So... you... this thing.”

Meng Zhi set his cup down. “Did you pay Thousand Autumns Pavilion?”

“N- No. This was the result of my illness,” Mei Changsu touched his face, which had changed greatly from his original form. “What... this thing... was, is to ensure that my illness would not finish me off before this is done. Yet, if the Pavilion is selling their services, then soon the possibility of facial surgery would reach the Imperial Court. Our suspecting Emperor would definitely hammer on the fact that facial surgery can completely disguise criminals and rebels.”

“I see.” Meng Zhi crossed his arms. “My _Shaolin_ style is a martial art with some effect against evil. It can handle most threats – this is the main reason why the Emperor keeps me around. As long as it’s not the one behind Thousand Autumns Pavilion, they can be handled. If I were able to hone myself under Prince Qi and your esteemed father, I would be much more capable than I am now.”

“Along with any loss comes a gain, I suppose,” Mei Changsu contemplated. “If you were not transferred away from the Chiyan Army, putting aside the fact that you wouldn’t have been able to escape the devastation twelve years ago, you would not be the Commander of the Imperial Guards today simply due to your identity as an old member of the Red Flame Army.”

Mei Changsu’s words immediately reminded Meng Zhi of something else. He gritted his teeth, “Not necessarily. Isn’t there an old member of the Chiyan Army standing in Court right now, surrounded by a halo of light as ‘the Empire’s Pillar’?”

Mei Changsu’s hand on the table shook, then stilled. His fingertips pressed on the red tabletop, as if they were about to leave a few prints.

Meng Zhi exhaled a long breath, as if trying to release all his melancholy. “It feels so gross, having to put up a false front and pretend to be friendly with him for these years. And you. Why did you decide to come live in this place?”

“For safety,” answered Mei Changsu lightly.

“What?” Meng Zhi scoffed. “A nest of demons is safer. There’s a lot of them in the seedy underbelly of Spiral Market Street. If you want to be safer, sell yourself to Thousand Autumns Pavilion. I heard that they buy corpses and harvest them for organs!”

“At least I can be rid of a lot of troubles.” Mei Changsu’s tone was like ice, chilling to the bone. “By taking advantage of those young men, I am able to quickly come in contact with the important people at Court. This is certainly better than having my hands tied by entering Jinling as an aide due to the Crown Prince or Prince Yu’s summons.”

Meng Zhi thought it over and nodded in approval, but he saw Mei Changsu’s stiff expression. He changed the subject: “What are your thoughts on this tournament for Grand Duchess Nihuang’s husband?”

“The Mu family of Yunnan is the empire’s protective screen of the south. The Grand Duchess had toiled away for the empire to the point of setting back her youth for many years. I only hope that she can find someone to love truly from this event. Everything else is unimportant.”

Meng Zhi hummed. “Did you know, that the Crown Prince and Prince Yu had both entered their own men into the tournament? If one of them succeeds, your goal would be much more difficult to achieve.”

“The Princess’s intelligence and zeal far exceeds mine, so there’s no need for me to worry about the tournament for her. However, the Great Yu and Northern Yan still came forward to request a marriage, even while knowing the slim chance of success. They must have an ace up their sleeves. You need to be extra cautious.”

“Mhmm!”

“As for Baili Qi this afternoon...” Mei Changsu contemplated. “He is like Feiliu – born of a human and a demon. My sources will get back to me tomorrow about how to handle him. It’s getting pretty late, you should head back.”

Meng Zhi gave his word, stood up, and hugged Mei Changsu out of a whim. This created a misunderstanding which began another tussle with Feiliu, at which Meng Zhi deeply began to understand the implications of Baili Qi having demon blood.

“Feiliu!” Mei Changsu stopped him hurriedly, “The uncle is saying his farewells to me. He’s not bullying me. Don’t be angry now, Feiliu...”

“Feiliu not allow!” Anger spread on the youth’s icy face.

“Okay okay, it won’t happen again in the future.” Mei Changsu lowered his head at Meng Zhi, “Sorry, Meng- _dàgē_. Our Feiliu has always been like this.”

“No worries. I’m really happy that this child is so protective of you.” Meng Zhi shot a friendly smile towards Feiliu. “You have to protect him well, okay?”

Feiliu ignored him. He remained on guard by his Su-gege’s side, not moving a single step.

“I’ll be leaving, then.” Meng Zhi took another long look at Mei Changsu and spoke quietly, “Shu-”

A quiet rumble began.

“- _Su_ , you need to take care of your body. You cannot let anything happen to you, you hear?” The look on Meng Zhi’s face just looked heartbroken. “Do you... have enough talismans? There’s a Taoist abbey on the southern end, their abbot is shifty, and the City God Temple has some cultivating _Fangshi_ too-”

“It’s enough, Meng- _dàgē,_ go home!”

* * *

It should be noted that, in most stories, the children of unions between mortals and the supernatural are always noted to be superior to normal human children: intelligent, physically perfect, with magic abilities inherited from parents, and so on. Such children also tended to be the heroes of their tales; for example, the Shang dynasty claimed godly descent as their right to rule. The people of the Central Plains called themselves ‘descendants of the dragons’ to signify the glory of their Empire.

Therefore, it was hardly strange that the Northern Yan representative Baili Qi’s introduction at the hands of Meng Zhi started with “His father is the Single-Horned Demon King of Xiyang Cave on Mt Huanghun. He is a soldier serving under the Fourth Prince of Yan.”

What was strange in comparison was that the Emperor’s face abruptly lost all colour.

“We see,” was his assessment after Meng Zhi had ended all the introductions of the ten remaining candidates.

“Of course, the Demon King’s status would not lose to the Grand Duchess Nihuang,” the Northern Yan ambassador commented, oblivious to the subtle tensions which, like a string that he had plucked, reverberated across the Court. “Our Fourth Prince has also become sworn brothers with the Warrior Baili Qi. The Demon King has entrusted the care of Warrior Baili to the Fourth Prince. When he has married the Grand Duchess Nihuang-”

“I say,” the Yu ambassador commented, “are you the representative for Northern Yan, or are you representing the Fourth Prince? These words were spoken a bit too soon.”

So like this, the ambassador settled back down, affronted.

The Emperor of Liang watched their quarrel with cold eyes. He remained silent until both sides momentarily doused their fire, then pronounced, “Everyone here is exceptional. There is no need for a quarrel. Unfortunately, I have been busy with government affairs and have not been able to see every match. I’m afraid that I’m still rather unfamiliar with these... warriors.”

Which was the cue for all ten of them to begin challenging each other.

“A strong warrior,” Nihuang assessed to Mei Changsu in the banquet hall of the Royal Palace, right under the Emperor’s eye. “And the son of a demon king. If he has some sorcery- the Emperor only ruled out  _Fangshi_ , not demons-!”

“Baili Qi definitely does not have magical skills, even if he is descended from a demon,” was Mei Changsu’s answer. “Even a union may not create a child with both qualities. But, judging by the reputation of his father, even if he is useless, he is already ranked a prince in the otherworld.”

Nihuang turned her head in surprise. “Why?”

“Su may not know many demons personally, but the Single-Horned Demon King is infamous in... certain circles of the pugilist world,” Mei Changsu made a motion with his hands which hinted at exactly how _deep_ those circles went. “Legend has it, that this Demon King was one of a fraternity of seven demon kings who waged war against Heaven. Even if victors become kings and losers become bandits 1, this particular demonic alliance contains two demons that this Single-Horned Demon King can call as brothers. That fact alone has maintained that king’s power and reputation after his loss to the heavenly armies.”

“Demon Kings function more like bandits, in a sense. With their long lifespans and power struggles, reputation and relations matter much more than any code of law,” Nihuang nodded. “Just his father calling two demons as brothers can reinforce Baili Qi so much? His Majesty looks... interested.”

“Those two demons are not ordinary. One is the Bull Demon King of Sky Scraping Cave in Accumulated Thunder Mountain. He’s far away, and does not meddle with matters in the mortal world, but the power and age is there,” Mei Changsu dismissed. “The other one... is more interesting – any fortune teller worth his salt can tell you of the demon monkey who wrecked havoc in the Heavenly Palace four hundred years ago, and committed so many crimes that in the end those above could only trap him under a mountain specially made with the five elements to serve his sentence. As above, so below – the damage was done. Because the monkey disturbed the heavens, the fortune-tellers would say, thus the realm was rent apart into three.2”

Mu Nihuang’s hands shook as she took a draught from her three-legged drinking vessel. “There is... such a powerful demon in this world?”

Mei Changsu nonchalantly fiddled with a pear. “Demon kings have been a hidden factor in human history. However, we are not talking about demon kings in this situation. We are talking about Baili Qi. Grand Duchess Nihuang, do you think any demon intelligent enough would let a child with magic serve in the human Courts?”

“Eh?” Nihuang’s shoulders bunched up defensively. “The Mu family-”

“Ah,” Mei Changsu corrected. “Yes, the Mu family claims descent from the mountain gods of the Zhongnan Mountains. That is where the phrase: ‘to be as rich as the Eastern Sea and a life equal to the South Mountains’3 come from. But does the young Grand Duke have sorcery? Or does Your Highness have some talent granted by Heaven, like the Grand Duke Jing?”

“No,” the answer was short and clipped. “We would not have needed your assistance in the naval war against Southern Chu otherwise. We live long – and that is it.”

“A long life can provoke jealousy,” Mei Changsu remarked. “However, I was referring to the possibility of a power upset. An enemy recruiting demons to Court is the easiest way for all kingdoms to start a change of strings and move out of rut,4 which makes war more costly and bloody as both sides begin to field supernatural powers. Fangshi are powerful, but human – demons, even without magic, are stronger, smarter and liver longer than most mortals. The best way to prevent an escalation of war, as the demons understand it, is to keep demonic powers away from the human Courts.”

“So... Baili Qi is human, as far as the demon world is concerned, and... certain circles... do not matter with him,” Mu Nihuang reasoned, to Mei Changsu’s encouraging sounds. “The fact that Baili Qi was entrusted to Northern Yan probably has to do with his mother...? But why the Fourth Prince?”

“For that, you would have to ask the demon king himself,” was Mei Changsu’s light reply. “Humans and demons walk divergent paths.5 By his strength alone, he must be very popular amongst the princes of Northern Yan. If not for his family, he would be famous in the Langya List. He would have come here anyway – it was only coincidence which brought him to the Fourth Prince and thus here under the Fourth Prince’s banner. Of course, as someone with demonic blood, as long as you know his weakness, even a child can beat him.”

As expected, the Grand Duchess reported those very words to the Emperor, which lent Mei Changsu the chance to bait the Emperor into this spectacle.

“Oh, it couldn’t be done so quickly,” Mei Changsu smiled. “Even if I were able to find some children immediately, I still need to train them for a few days at the very least. All right, let’s just say that my words were nonsense. Please do not take it to heart...”

* * *

**1 ZH:  成则为王，败则为寇 (chéng zé wéi wáng , bài zé wéi kòu): lit. called a king if successful, called a bandit if defeated (idiom), figuratively: losers are always in the wrong.**

**2  _Journey to the West_ is unique as a _shenmo_ novel in that it was definitely based on the real monk Xuanzang’s travels. Calculating backwards, when Sun Wukong was first trapped would be around 100 CE or more, which would coincide with the downfall of the Han dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period. Due to timekeeping and calendar issues, we can assume that Sun Wukong’s wrecking havoc in the Heavenly Palace definitely coincided with the historically messy fall of the Han and the ensuing Three Kingdoms period.**

**3 ZH:  福如东海, 寿比南山 (fú rú Dōng hǎi, shòu bǐ Nán shān)**

**4 ZH:  改弦易辙 (gai xian yi zhe): referring to a dramatic change in direction.**

**5 ZH:  人妖殊途 (ren yao shu tu): this is not an idiom, it is the exact phrase used by MCS here.**


	8. 庚午: Day & Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the Grand Duke mounted his horse, General Lie disappeared, and a grand eagle took flight to the skies of Jinling.

#  庚午: Day & Night

Two days after fixing the wager between Baili Qi and three boys, the Grand Duke Jing visited the Snow Cottage in which Mei Changsu currently resided. Having dismissed most other staff, he alone sat beside the man sitting on the long chair beneath the tree, clearly under constant vigilance.

On the other hand, Mei Changsu was a lot more relaxed. He quietly instructed Feiliu to continue teaching the three selected boys, including Tingsheng, away from the pair under the willows. Finally, a faint smile appeared around his lips as he beheld the Grand Duke.

“Even if Your Highness holds animosity towards me, there’s really no need to express it so clearly,” said Mei Changsu leisurely. “At least you and I have a common goal right now, which is to save Tingsheng.”

“That is what I find curious,” responded Xiao Jingyan. “Why are you putting in so much effort to rescue Tingsheng? Is it only due to sympathy?”

“Of course not.” Mei Changsu blinked. “He has great qualities. I want to take him in as a student.”

“There are many more children with better qualities than him. With your many friends – the son of the Marquess of Ning, the Crown Prince, and Prince Yu – you can take in any student you want.”

“Then, what is the reason for Your Highness to protect Tingsheng so?”

Xiao Jingyan answered lightly, “I am only caring for the loved one of the person I love. Is that wrong?”

“You are caring for the loved one of a loved one indeed, but it is definitely not because of his mother,” Mei Changsu glanced away, “but his father.”

The Grand Duke’s whole body trembled. The muscles on his face twitched involuntarily. His hands formed tight fists by his side, but withdrew.

Mei Changsu gave a bitter bark, and he continued, “Tingsheng is eleven, born in the Secluded Courtyard. Whose posthumous child is he? From the timing, the most fitting would be... You two were once deployed together, so you should’ve cared for each other a lot.”

Xiao Jingyan’s gaze stabbed at Mei Changsu like arrows. “Who. Are. You?”

“Neither the Crown Prince nor Prince Yu is my friend. They are trying to recruit me,” Mei Changsu stifled his laugh as his gaze fell down onto the table, which had acquired mysterious scorch marks that vaguely followed the outline of the Grand Duke’s fists.

Xiao Jingyan accepted the cup offered to him with visibly bad grace. “From what I heard from Grand Duchess Nihuang, Mr Mei of River Left is a man of many talents. It’s a pity to become a conspirator. From what you’ve said, it sounds like you are deliberately collecting information and secrets of this sort to prepare for your future actions?”

“That’s right,” Mei Changsu agreed. “What’s wrong? I will be relied on by the powerful and make contributions to the world. Perhaps in the future, my name may be worshipped, and my fame will go down in history. I might even ascend to Heaven.”

Prince Jing’s eyes were dark. He demanded, “Then, are you planning on choosing the Crown Prince, or Prince Yu?”

Mei Changsu lifted his head slightly. “I want to choose you. Your Highness.”

“Choose me?” Grand Duke Jing reared back and laughed, almost to the point of crying.

“Choosing me... then you must be blind, Sir,” he spoke once he had recovered. “My mother is a lowly Concubine, and I do not have any notable relatives on her side. I am thirty-one, and have yet to be decorated as a Royal Prince. I have always kept company solely with rugged military men, and have no meaningful connections within the Three Departments and Six Ministries. What can you accomplish by choosing me?”

“Certainly, your situation is not ideal,” said Mei Changsu evenly. “I have no better choice.”

“What does that mean?” demanded the Grand Duke. “The Crown Prince and Prince Yu both have considerable support in Jinling. It wouldn’t be a surprise if either one snatches the throne.”

“The most definite things in the world, are the least interesting things to do,” Mei Changsu poured another few cups of tea, which had been diluted after repeated steeping to the point of merely colouring the infusion without taste. He frowned, poking the teapot’s surface before glaring across to the Grand Duke’s teacup, which was still visibly steaming after so long without even being warmed. “Would it not be a great show of my abilities if I can set a person nobody thought of on the throne, all by myself?”

Prince Jing took a long look at Mei Changsu. “So all scholars in the pugilist world have such strange thinking.”

“Your Highness, please be honest,” Mei Changsu returned his gaze calmly, like a demon or Lie Zhanying’s mother. The resemblance was certainly there. “Are you really uninterested in becoming the Emperor?”

Xiao Jingyan silently clenched his jaw, deep in thought. “Since you are already here to stir things up, I suppose that you are already prepared, and have investigated most of my affairs.”

“Of course!” Mei Changsu almost took offence. “I certainly investigated.”

“...” A muscle twitched in Xiao Jingyan’s jaw. “The throne going to me is like building pavilions amongst clouds. Yet, if you are able to prevent the Crown Prince and Prince Yu from claiming the throne, I... I am willing to pay any price for it.”

“Then, then please consider saving Tingsheng as a greeting gift for joining you.” Mei Changsu gave his measured reply. “If you are satisfied, then we shall agree on this alliance today. What do you think?”

“...” Xiao Jingyan contemplated. “You saved Tingsheng for this?”

“Of course.”

“...I do not actually appreciate people who are so calculating like you,” the Grand Duke baldly continued. “Even if I were to ascend the throne with your assistance, you may not receive much appreciation from me. Are you fine with that?”

“I have endless opportunities to negotiate with Your Highness,” Mei Changsu’s broad smile belied the sombre tone of his words. “What I appreciate is Your Highness’ morals, which are different from those two.”

The Grand Duke’s head shot up. “We have never met each other. How I am as a person, how would you know?”

“Your Highness keeps two guardian lion statues outside your house.” Mei Changsu’s eyes flashed. “Take it as a bet of mine, that those two are _not_ lions.”

“That does not mean much.” Xiao Jingyan did not acknowledge the hint.

Mei Changsu took a deep breath. “Of the living Princes, the Third Prince is crippled, the sixth Prince is cowardly, you yourself are the only  _Fangshi_ amongst your brothers, and the Ninth Prince is too young. Like I said, your situation is not ideal, but there is no other choice.”

Xiao Jingyan, after leaving the Manor of the Marquess of Ning, set down another order. “General Lie.”

“This general is here.” The younger aide-de-camp responded.

“If Mr Su dabbles in unorthodox arts, will I know?”

“Your Highness has great power. But...”

“I understand. Arrange for a watch, I’m worried for Tingsheng.”

Lie Zhanying’s eyes widened, but he nodded. “Your general obeys. I entrust the horse to Your Highness.”

As the Grand Duke mounted his horse, General Lie disappeared, and a grand eagle took flight to the skies of Jinling.

* * *

If the daytime did not have enough troubles for Mei Changsu, then the night certainly brought in a unique visitor. Strictly speaking, this person shouldn’t be termed a visitor, since the Snow Cottage Mei Changsu currently resides in is actually in her home; only, she had never came for a visit during all this time.

Mei Changsu gently coaxed Feiliu back into his room, and then gave a slight smile to Grand Princess Liyang and bowed in greeting.

“The wind had risen. I’ve heard that you are unwell, Mr. Su. Let’s talk inside.”

Grand Princess Liyang wore a cool expression, but her tone was warm enough. She did not make any modest refusals when she saw Mei Changsu step aside to make way for her, and stepped indoors in the lead. With the warm air colliding into her, she untied the ribbons of her golden cloak.

Mei Changsu stepped forward to take the cloak she slipped out of and hung it nearby. He then brought a teapot from the firepit and poured a cup of hot tea for her. The Grand Princess cupped the teacup in her hands, her palms around the cup’s edge. After a long while, she finally began, “Please accept my apologies for visiting at such a late time. It’s just that if I were to come earlier, I’m afraid...”

“Your Highness is afraid that Jingrui would still be here if you came earlier?” Mei Changsu adroitly took over the other half. “In that case, Your Highness have some instructions for me alone?”

The Grand Princess raised her head to study him. Su Zhe was a commoner – a wide gulf existed between the ranks of him and the Emperor’s sister. ‘Instructions’ were hardly spoken out of politeness, even if it was hard to determine his background. If her were...

Her gaze fixated slightly, as if she had mentally came to a decision. The cup in her palms had unknowingly been placed on the table at some point. She raised her head and looked straight into Mei Changsu’s eyes.

“Sir Su,” her tone was measured, “Please save Nihuang.”

The possible threat, as outlined by the Grand Princess, was the Grand Duchess being set up in a situation where she was forced to marry to preserve her reputation. Although the Grand Duchess was precious and powerful, there were people in Jinling who could be worse than demons in cruelty and underhanded means.

“Some things that are inconsequential to men are enough of a blow to destroy the will of a woman.” The Grand Princess elaborated. “If Nihuang already has someone she likes, this blow will be even stronger. It will make her feel that who she marries and what type of life she will lead in the future are all inconsequential. No matter who appears on her doorstep to offer her vengeance, it does not erase that fact.”

As she spoke, the Grand Princess had an expression which was very calm, and her tone was very cool. Her slowly reddening eyes, and her stiff and colourless fingers atop the table betrayed melancholy, anger and frustration, a muddle of all those.

“Your Highness,” said Mei Changsu slowly after pondering deeply for awhile, “I acknowledge the logic of your words, but what exactly is the method that can create such an effect?”

All the blood in her lips seemed to have fled. “His Majesty is privately very satisfied with two of the final ten candidates, and wish to pair them with the Princess. Do you know who they are?”

Mei Changsu shook his head immediately.

“Sima Lei, son of the Grand Marshal, and Liao Tingjie, son of the Marquess of Zhongsu.”

Mei Changsu was not surprised by the answer. It just so happened that between these two people, it was rather balanced. Who knew if this was by coincidence, or by design? Perhaps Lin Chen would know. “But going by the current rules of the tournament, none of those two have any possibility of winning, unless the Grand Duchess loses deliberately. For all his power, Baili Qi could be weak against peach wood.”

His words were acknowledged with a nod. “Barring that possibility, some are getting worried. The support of Yunnan is far too attractive. However, if the matter cannot be finalized during her short stay in Jinling, it will require twice the effort for half the result when she returns to Yunnan.”

Princess Liyang suddenly laughed. “At a time like this, Nihuang’s personal wishes have long since been outside these people’s consideration. The people within the Palace are experts in underhanded tactics. Some people who have knowledge of old events will inevitably attempt to imitate the method used by the Empress Dowager in the past...”

Mei Changsu gave a sharp intake at the mention of the late Empress Dowager. Thinking back now, Princess Liyang had rarely visited her mother in his recollections, nor had he ever seen her speak with the Empress Dowager. Only, his life was overflowing with rich and vibrant matters then, and he had never paid any attention to this strange situation.

Princess Liyang closed her eyes for a moment, as if needing to calm herself.

“There is a type of wine called ‘Coils of Passion’,” she recounted blandly. “Its make is uncertified, but it has been in circulation amongst... certain circles... with Cold Food Powder since the end of the Han dynasty.”1

“You mean,” Mei Changsu corrected, “that demons tend to sell it more. Human shops sell it too, but the authorities crack down more on human sellers of such drugs than compared to otherworldly purveyors. It reinforces the perception that all demon medical shops are dens of iniquity.”

“You certainly know more about this than myself,” the princess remarked. “This wine has the effect of inducing hallucination and sexual desire with just one cup. If a woman drinks it, she will mistake the man next to her as... the person she dearly loves and longs for. Urged by the effects of the drug, she will take the initiative and beg to be embraced.”

The Grand Princess paused to inhale deeply. “She does not know about the existence of such a wine, so even when she sobers afterwards, she will believe that it was her weak will that led to her misconduct while being intoxicated. She furthermore cannot be angry at the man since she was the one who took the initiative.”

A slight pause. “Shame and despair is worse than death. Death... death has always been the most difficult affair. If she dies then, she will die without dignity. From then on, no matter how many unspoken words are hidden in her heart, it would be impossible for her to say them. At a loss, vulnerable to the advice of trusted people, how could she have any energy to struggle or to refuse? Others manipulate her as they wish...”

Grand Princess Liyang’s speech tapered away from its strong start. From her sorrow, even the densest man would be able to see that what she spoke of was her own feelings, carved deep in her heart.

Mei Changsu stood up and walked slowly to the other end of the room. He turned his back towards her and averted his eyes, silently waiting for her to regain her calm.

“Everything with sentience has the potential for evil,” was his assessment. “The fact that someone appeared on the steps of your residence, offering vengeance... that is another vulnerability. How the demon who appeared on your doorstep after the fact knew is not exactly known. The main issue now is to protect the Grand Duchess from ‘Coils of Passion’.”

“The demon took the bottle away,” the Grand Princess offered immediately. “It was... my thoughts were initially as we supposed when I first knew that. I tried to reach the Grand Duchess, but the Mu siblings had left their residence and it was not convenient. On my way back to the manor... I saw that demon again. She was walking on the street next to a general from the Grand Duke Jing’s household – Lie Zhanying. And... I thought-”

Mei Changsu sat straighter, as if Lin Chen had just pressed another acupoint. “The Seventh Prince’s right-hand man?!”

Grand Princess Liyang nodded. “Demons may live openly in Jinling, but involving them in politics... demons thrive in times of chaos, like... The plague sixteen years ago, was caused by a jealous concubine hiring a demon to kill Empress Yan’s child. The child died, and several innocents accompanied the royal baby in burial. We should have listened to that _Fangshi_...”

The Grand Princess shuddered. “The Grand Duke Jing has always been unfavoured by my royal brother the Emperor, but were the situation to erupt... I do not put it past a demon to escalate matters in the hope of assisting their favourite’s career prospects,” was her final, cold conclusion.

“That certainly merits investigation,” Mei Changsu commented in lieu of actually hunting down Lie Zhanying for an interrogation this night.

He nodded. “Whichever human though of this despicable plan in the first place may be using without knowledge something far worse than an aphrodisiac on the Grand Duchess. Yet, Your Highness, what makes you think that there is something worse than ‘Coils of Passion’ prepared?”

The basic assumption that the Grand Princess held, Mei Changsu reasoned to himself, was that the original bottle of ‘Coils of Passion’ used by the late Empress Dowager was taken away. The possibility remained that the demon whom the Grand Princess Liyang had met simply switched bottles, or that the bottle with its original contents remained hidden in the Royal Palace.

The Grand Princess fidgeted. “The demon who came to my doorstep... did so on the funeral wake for the late Empress Dowager. She told me that... royals should have never tried to buy goods meant for demons. T- the punishment for alcohol-related crimes in Hell apparently do not apply to royalty, who at death would be enshrined in the royal ancestral temple. So... to prevent demonic goods from receiving the sovereign’s attention, she had to take it back.”

“It’s more than that. Demons are banned from Court because they always have their own agendas.” Mei Changsu’s fingers thumbed at the hem of his sleeve under his hand.

“A demon familiar with the power balance between the pugilist world and the Imperial Court – not only familiar, but active in protecting that balance from the Xuanjing Bureau,” he thought aloud. “Who has no problem with not only offending Royals, but taking advantage of the state funeral mourning to enter the Royal Palace. Furthermore, entering the palace itself takes guts which are beyond normal demons. If Court personnel do not heed caution... ah, my apologies to the Grand Princess, but Su has an urgent errand to run in relation to what you have just told me.”

“What?”

“If demons are involved, then Su will need to request a stick from the City God Temple,”2 was Mei Changsu’s final answer. “Grand Princess must be tired too, my deepest apologies.”

Given the urgency by which he jumped into action, the Princess accepted his farewells and took her leave, taking care not to be detected. The puzzle in her mind, though, had turned distinctly farcical: “Would seeking a fortune-teller help?”

* * *

**1 Cold-Food Powder ( 寒食散 hán shí sǎn) or Five Minerals Powder (五石散 wǔ shí sǎn) was a poisonous psychoactive drug popular during the Six Dynasties (220–589) and Tang Dynasty (618–907) periods of China.**

**2 Kau Cim, Kau Chim, or lottery poetry ( 求簽 qiu qian) is a fortune telling practice that originated in China in which the querent (person asking the question) requests answers from a sacred oracle lot. The practice is often performed in a Taoist or Buddhist temple in front of an altar. It involves a bamboo cylinder containing sticks with inscriptions.**


	9. 辛未：Fortunes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mei Changsu currently hung from the branches of a rather delicate pear tree. His feet were bound to the very ends of the branch, and his breath laboured with effort.
> 
> Feiliu’s smile met his eyes as he was suspended by his feet upside down.

#  辛未：Fortunes

Unlike most temples, the Jinling City God temple could not afford to close its doors in the dead of night. Where daytime it entertained human worshippers, once the sun fell the crowd around the temple turned distinctly spectral. Jinling’s supernatural population of mostly demons, with a few ghosts, had turned out a small night market clear of the normal routes taken by the Capital Patrols’ night-watchmen ringing the gong.1

Due of the urgency of his departure, Mei Changsu had tried to leave Feiliu behind, but the cold-faced youth had tailed him all the way to the Northern Hamlet Market. The night wind bit against his skin, but Mei Changsu ploughed on until he reached the public City God temple.

“I’m here to beg for a stick,” he told the presiding priest.

“From the City God,” the priest slurred, “or from the deities?”

“To Langzhou.”

“The incense money?”

“How much?”

A price was set, he paid up, was immediately shown to a private altar for the City God, blocked with cheap bamboo screens. Before the statue of the City God was a cylindrical bucket filled with flat inscribed sticks of bamboo. Feiliu’s sound of outrage made it clear that the bodyguard was standing outside.

Mei Changsu lit a stick of incense in prayer by one of the two candles provided, and set it in the prescribed joss-stick burner, before rotating the cylinder three times around the burner. He then knelt on the provided cushion and held the bamboo cylinder. “I am here to ask the City God, is Young Master Lin of Langya Hall in Langzhou available? I need to talk to him.”

Shaking the cylinder while it was tilted in his hands caused one stick to fall out. Beside the City God statue, the candles flickered.

“ _..._ _I say, you_ _heartless cad_ _,_ ” Lin Chen’s voice emanated from the statue, “ _do you know what time is it?_ ”

“I see you still know who is calling,” Mei Changsu replied.

“ _Other than you, who else would contact me like this in the middle of the night?!_ ” A yawn punctuated Lin Chen’s exclamation. “ _What’s so_ _important that you needed to_ _channel_ _me in the middle of the night_ _?_ ”

“You didn’t tell me that Lie Zhanying has relations with demons and monsters,” Mei Changsu accused.

“ _Our_ _Langya Hall has no need to inform their c_ _lient_ _s that_ _their informants are in the area-”_

“Oi! Your grandpa!”2 Mei Changsu cursed at the statue, before he settled. “Mrs Lie works for Langya Hall?”

“...”

“...how much.”

“ _It’s not a problem of money..._ ”

“So you want me to owe you a favour?” Mei Changsu bit back. “Answer me. I... I will return the favour.”

“ _Who wants your favour, you hooligan!_ ” Lin Chen shot back. “ _But, since you’re so courteous right now... I’ve_ _actually_ _struck a bet with Physician Yan._ _I bet him that your illness cannot be cured. He said that your illness can be cured – managed, at worst. His weighty signboard is at risk here, so he will definitely do his level best as your physician for however long you stay in Jinling._ _He only has two days off, though._ ”

“I’ll make sure that you lose that bet,” Mei Changsu hissed back. “Physician _Yan_? I’ll be healed, but nothing will be done! Wasn’t he still with that other patient? You were talking about that immortal – the one trying to chop the osmanthus tree on the Moon?” 3

“ _The favourite guest of_ _Guanghan_ _Palace aside,_ ” Lin Chen barrelled over him, “ _do you agree_ _?_ ”

“You’re paying him.”

“ _We’re having a bet with your body at stake. Your Alliance is footing the bill!_ ”

“You-!” Mei Changsu relented. “Fine! Answer me. Lie Zhanying.”

“ _Fine, fine. So heartless..._ ” The grousing gave way to a cough. “ _I’ll send you our information by messenger._ ”

“Just tell me now.”

“ _You- if you’re followed by the ones in Thousand Autumns Pavilion, don’t blame me._ ” A soft cough. “ _Erm_... _our_ _Langya Hall, for the purposes of information collecting, have connections at the City God temple of every major city – except Youdu._ _The Underworld capital_ _can be accessed by all demons and ghosts, but deities cannot step inside except by heavenly order. So, on that side,_ _we have_ _a mutual_ _exchange_ _with_ _the demons’_ _Jiyue Hall_ _._ _Jiyue Hall_ _has branches in many human settlements, but the one coordinating all that information for demons is the one in Jinling._ ”

Another breath. “ _Their branch chief is M_ _iss_ _Lí,_ _she’s in charge of Thousand Autumns Pavilion, as you already know_ _. She reports immediately to Aunt Luo of Spiral Market Street_ _– you also know_ _._ _What you_ don’t  _know, is that_ _Miss_ _Lí requested the Jinling settlement because she married someone named Lie_ _– he’s dead,_ _she returned to her maiden name_ _. Lie Zhanying is_ _her son,_ _but their relations are estranged because he’s in the army_ _._ ”

“Say so earlier! Do you need so many words...?” Mei Changsu tilted his head in contemplation. “Son? Such a shame...”

“ _A shame? Her son is defending the country! How is it a shame? If he does well, he might even receive a promotion to Heaven!_ ”

“They’re estranged _because_ he is in the army,” Mei Changsu pointed out. “Demons can live forever, eternally young – but what about the children who are born human? The lovers age and die, but the children born from them will also age and die. The son has left for the battlefield, and left his old mother waiting for his uncertain return.”

“ _Using a son against his mother, really..._ _I gave you the information and a bargaining chip, it’s up to you to talk Madam Lí around._ _This has to be a secret though – your prince is finished is he’s found to have demonic relations in his household._ _Can I go back to sleep now?_ ”

“Go, go,” Mei Changsu chided. “Lazy bum.”

“ _You-_ ” Lin Chen yawned. “ _Anyway,_ _n_ _ot for nothing is Jiyue Hall said to be capable of changing the dynasty and times._ 4 _T_ _he Hua clan demons are trying to buy them over to their side._ ”

“What demons can do, don’t tell me that you immortals of Langya Hall would fail?” Mei Changsu retorted. “Go to sleep!”

“ _Oi_! _Learn how to send paper messages to me, I’ll write down how to channel from home!_ _Heartless_ -!” Lin Chen’s voice faded away as Mei Changsu put the stick back and set the cylinder down.

“I wonder,” Mei Changsu contemplated to himself as he walked out of the temple, “if His Highness already knows.”

“Oh,” a woman commented behind him, “His Highness the Grand Duke already knows.”

The City God crowd paid minimal attention as a sickly-looking scholar in white was spirited away by his bodyguard in dark blue.

The priest at the donation counter tutted. “Aunt Luo! One of your girls possessed a customer again!”

“What’s that got to do with me?!” A shrill soprano bit back. “I’m still dealing with this crowd from the Lan Manor!”

“Aiyah, this Lí... she’s married already, why does she need to possess men? And that scholar too!” The priest commented. “He already looks seventy percent dead, I thought he was going to pay me in Underworld currency...”

* * *

Mei Changsu currently hung from the branches of a rather delicate pear tree. His feet were bound to the very ends of the branch, and his breath laboured with effort.

Feiliu’s smile met his eyes as he was suspended by his feet upside down. The cold-faced youth had glazed eyes, and his lips parted for a woman’s voice to clearly speak: “ _I never thought that_ _the famous_ _Mei Changsu_ _of Jiangzuo_ _would be a little_ Shijie _._ _The price has been agreed – what are you calling upon heavenly sources on me for?_ _Did you think that, just because your bodyguard is half an_ Yuxian5 _,_ _our Thousand Autumns Pavilion won’t have a chance to get at you?_ ”

“Lin Chen, you little-” Mei Changsu sharply inhaled. “I believe you’re... Miss Lí? Su pays the deepest excuses for this, but could you please let me down? We can talk things out, there’s no need for violence. Su has a terribly weak body.”

Feiliu’s fingers patting his cheek made Mei Changsu intimately aware that currently, the incredibly strong bodyguard was not on his side. “ _I checked your Numinous Treasure Talisman earlier. Your death is yet to come. That does not mean, however, that you will not spend the rest of that time wishing_ _for death_ _if you cannot give me a good answer_ _._ ”

“Su is working for Grand Duke Jing as a strategist.” Mei Changsu automatically spoke. “His Highness must have known that General Lie Zhanying is born from a demon. Does he know of Mrs Lie?”

“ _His Highness cannot know._ ” Feiliu’s bottom lip stuck out as the demon pouted. “ _I suppose that Zhanying told His Highness that it was his father from whom he received the little tricks he can manage. A strategist..._ _His Highness does not seem like the type of human to trust anything not from the orthodox._ ”

“But he readily accepts demons in his household,” Mei Changsu pointed out. “You might not be able to see your son that often as the Grand Duke is at the front-lines so often, but your son is very well cared for by his lord.”

“ _I can fly across the heavens and walk on clouds._ _What is a_ _thousand_ li _?_ _Sir, you have yet to reply._ ”

“Demons, of course, have no reason to fear from most of the pugilist world,” Mei Changsu coughed. “Since you know my identity, then you know that the Alliance is not most organisations.”

“ _I do not care about the consequences._ ”

“General Lie has to care about the consequences,” Mei Changsu reasoned as his breathing became laboured. “Su is trying to help the Grand Duke Jing, and thus General Lie. As things stand, the General cannot advance forward much in life. Will you really be willing to let that happen? A war risks the worst outcome, a demon attack brings about inquiry. Attention as focused on General Lie’s person has more drawbacks, given his background. Su believes that Miss Lí does not wish for that.”

“ _The matter is not for me to decide, I am afraid._ ”

“Please put me down and we can talk. Su is afraid...”

“ _I like you begging. Do it again._ ” Feiliu’s body sat cross-legged at the foot of the pear tree. “ _You were looking for me, irregardless of what you would find. To think that you would be so unprepared... your precautions were not enough, Sir. Your punishment is to hang there, but I will answer your query. Speak._ ”

“Many thanks to Miss for the warning. Su is willing to be punished.” Mei Changsu praised. “I... received news that someone in the Imperial Court plans to use ‘Coils of Passion’.”

“ _Currently, bottles_ _of that wine_ _are sold with_ _an additional substance which renders the whole mixture ineffective once it leaves areas with demonic miasma._ _I don’t think the human Court is concerned with this?_ ”

“Ah, no, it’s an old bottle,” Mei Changsu clarified. “ ‘Coils of Passion’ is banned within the Palace city. This rule, plus the added precautions from your side, means that the perpetrators, whoever they are, must be using the original bottle from years ago. But, my... informant... hinted that you, or someone who looked like you, took the bottle away. Of course, a missing bottle, if noticed by Palace servants, tends to raise alarms. Your side might not have problems offending royalty, but there is the rest of Jinling to consider.”

He coughed, hands shaking from where they had been hanging upside down with him. “From my information, the party who secured the bottle must have three things: Intellect, to discern the power balance between the greater pugilist world and the Imperial Court. Power, to protect against the Xuanjing Bureau. Courage, to take advantage of the state funeral mourning to enter the Royal Palace which has supernatural protection. If Court personnel do not heed caution of the pugilist rules, then you, your side, must punish them in a manner which cannot be traced back to your side, in a manner which would blow up in Court. I dare to discern, therefore, that the contents of the ‘Coils of Passion’ was switched for something far more innocuous but public.”

A chuckle broke up Mei Changsu’s diatribe. “ _You are correct in basic reasoning. What if there was poison instead?_ ”

“You still take the chance that the blame for providing the poison would fall on your side and another witch-hunt would be called,” Mei Changsu rebutted. “What _did_ you put in that bottle?”

Feiliu’s laugh sounded wrong; the pitches kept echoing, and even the timbre of the voice was far higher than humans should be capable of. “ _The wine was meant to dazzle and weaken the wills of people. What the Madame placed_ _inside_ _was its direct opposite –_ _a poison which would not only encourage wakefulness and increase strength to the point of madness,_ _unleashing a berserk strength to destroy the object of hatred_ _. ‘_ _Desire to_ _Obsession_ _’_ _._ _Reason will not hold it back._ ” _6 _

“Using this kind of thing is tantamount to violating the Ten Abominations7, knowingly or not,” Mei Changsu flatly stated. “The victim may be excused as the recipient of demonic possession. The ones expecting their victim to be drunken and weakened will die. Assuming that they survive the possession-induced massacre, they will be executed without the least chance of clemency. And since substances which facilitate this exist within the Ministry of Rites for the Astrologers to use... this is an intelligent trap.”

He received another pat on his cheek, and a smile. “ _Because you are so smart, then you can untie yourself._ _Good night, sir._ ”

“Eh? I still have-” Mei Changsu exclaimed, but Feiliu’s head dropped forward, before he snapped back up to stare at Mei Changsu flailing in his direction.

A finger stabbed into his cheek. “Su-gege, hang!”

“Good Feiliu, untie Su-gege,” Mei Changsu bit back a yawn. “When we go back, we’re outfitting ourselves with talismans against possession. This sort of punishment is beyond my tolerance...”

* * *

**1 Because at night before the invention of watches, it was not convenient to use joss-sticks to count time, and the water-clock would not be invented for another 500 years. Therefore, every night the city watch would have people walking set routes banging a small gong, also calling out warnings against fire.**

**2 “ 你大爺” is a mild expletive that means something along the lines of “damn you”/“screw you.” (This expression was used a lot between HG & JD on set in the blooper reel.)**

**3 Wu Gang ( 吴刚), also known as Wu Zhi in some sources, is known for endlessly cutting down a self-healing osmanthus tree on the Moon, usually as a punishment, which has led to his description as the Chinese Sisyphus. In modern Chinese, "Wu Gang chopping the tree" (吴刚伐木) is used to describe any endless toil.**

**4 ZH:  改朝换代 gǎi cháo huàn dài.**

**5 This is the Chinese reading for the Japanese word ‘misaki’ ( 御先), which is a collective term for spirit-like existences in Japan like gods, demons, and spirits, among other supernatural entities.**

**6 ZH:  走火入魔 (zou huo ru mo), a Chinese term traditionally used to indicate that something has gone wrong in spiritual or martial arts training, applied to describe a physiological or psychological disorder believed to result from practising such arts.**

**7 The Ten Abominations ( 十恶) were a list of offences under traditional Chinese law which were regarded as the most abhorrent, and which threatened the well-being of civilised society. Legal privileges, such as the Eight Deliberations, were not applicable to the Ten Abominations due to their seriousness. In this particular case, it falls under depravity: to cast curses.**


	10. 壬申：Monster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Replying to Imperial Father,” Jingyan’s face was completely stoic. “Your son heard the Huang bird scream. Its cry was heard throughout the Palace and beyond, I believe. Since your son is always sent to handle such crises, your son immediately approached the area. The eastern wall of Zhaoren Palace’s courtyard was caved in, blood covered the rubble, and screams abounded. Your son therefore joined combat. Your Majesty does not appreciate too many details on your son’s... magic...”
> 
> “Yueyao could do that, We know deeply, continue,” the Emperor harrumphed, to surprised and fearful looks around.
> 
> “Your son therefore distracted the... Grand Duchess... and diverted her whilst Royal Brother and the Lady Yue escaped.” Jingyan reported. “In the heat of combat, your son was forced to concuss the Grand Duchess, and also incurred many injuries, hence our state.”

#  壬申：Monster

Being in a daze due to lack of sleep the next day, did not prevent the predicted loss of Baili Qi the next morning and the subsequent freeing of the three victorious boys. Not even the deferment of the written test could dampen the prevailing mood, especially for Yan Yujin. In a fit of high spirits, he announced his plans to continue his polo match against Liao Tingjie, before Mei Changsu’s fit made him abandon his plans and locate Commander Meng instead.

Mei Changsu’s breathing was laboured, the effort wracking his sickly body. “Grand Duke Jing,” he gasped as Commander Meng rushed to him and Jingrui in an alcove by a main passageway. “His Highness must enter the palace-”

“Commander Meng, what happened?” Jingrui demanded as a stretcher containing a grievously wounded Sima Lei was carted by two more Imperial Guards as Meng Zhi slowed down. “Is that Sima Lei?! When did he enter the Palace?”

“You would not believe what just happened,” Meng Zhi exclaimed. “A  _Huang_ is loose and attacking Zhaoren Palace! The Grand Duke is currently fighting it!”

“ _Her_ ,” Mei Changsu gasped. “Nihuang- the Crown Prince-! That’s Nihuang!”

* * *

Since the blast following the haunting birdsong took down part of the courtyard wall surrounding Zhaoren Palace, Xiao Jingyan was well within rights to charge in with sword drawn. Amidst the rubble that was once a magnificent garden, the sentries milled about in confusion, though several showed limbs twisted and bent in ways that clearly indicated serious breakages. Cowering behind a large boulder was the Crown Prince and his lady mother.

Their screams rent the air, as the blue-white bird the size of a warhorse threw out a talon that sliced through half the rock.

Jingyan took over a repeating crossbow complete with magazine from a guard. The first flaming arrow only hit the talon, but it drew the monster’s ire for intelligent dark eyes narrowed in hate to circle around a long, slender neck and shoot towards Jingyan. Dressed in ceremonial robes though he was, the Grand Duke ducked and continued firing steadily, discarding the crossbow once a path has been cleared.

“Crown Prince, my lady Noble Consort, please seek shelter,” the guard whose weapon had been liberated began.

“Seventh Brother, you’re just in time! Mother Consort, let’s go!” Xiao Jingxuan, red with fear and shame, dragged his pale-faced mother by the hand over the high threshold out of the palace.

The  _Huang_ gave a screech, moving for the wall, except that Xiao Jingyan continued striding forward with more liberated weapons that caught fire. Human and monster exchanged glancing blows – swords heated red-hot and burning crossbow bolts, between talon slashes that turned the front of Jingyan’s robes to ribbons and threatened to make the Seventh Prince into mincemeat.

Jingyan staggered back against a wall which was still intact, his eyes never leaving the Huang whose wingbeats had just shattered an old peach tree into so many splinters and clumps of fertilised soil.

“Sentries! More weapons!”

Two spears managed to reach his hands as the beak stabbed for his chest. It only managed a glancing blow, but in exchange Jingyan also swung his right arm down to slam the bird’s neck with the spear shaft. Astride on its neck, the wingbeats of grey-flecked wings threatened to unseat Jingyan and break across his back as it thrashed, and it managed to unseat him long enough to toss him into Zhaoren Palace’s main building facade. Both spears clattered from his hands as he fell down with a muffled thump.

Having already managed to vault the wall of Zhaoren Palace, Imperial Guards with more sophisticated weaponry. Jingyan was about to demand one, but then saw an Imperial Guard with a peach wood club being casually backhanded with minimal effect, so decided to claim a rope-dart, throwing it for the bird’s neck once more as it reared back to sweep a group of Imperial Guards off of their feet, graceful as a crane on one talon. Having bound its neck, Jingyan then twisted and gave the sharpest pull he could manage.

“Sword!” he barked.

A longsword was tossed up, and Jingyan grabbed it with his bare hands, about to swing it down and cleave through flesh and bone.

“Stop!  _That’s Nihuang!_ _That’s the Grand Duchess Nihuang!_ ”

A wall of flesh slammed Jingyan off again, right as a host of Imperial Guards flung themselves across the wings of the creature. Ropes and chains were tugged on as Jingyan pulled himself back up and changed his grip.

The sword’s tip reversed. Its blade bit into the meat of Jingyan’s palm and knuckles as the fiery prince slammed the pommel into the crook of the bird’s skull. The first blow elicited a cry; the second a warble; the third made the bird’s head resemble a woman’s skull as its neck shrunk... the bird shrieked as its beak slashed across the prince’s torso.

With a battle roar, Meng Zhi hit the tender, blood-soaked down, which drew blood.

* * *

Hours later, the Grand Duke Jing and the Grand Duchess Mu Nihuang made an interesting pair when they both sought an immediate audience with the Emperor. They came in with the barest minimum made to ensure neatness and safety, with Jingyan’s right hand wrapped in soft cloths and more bandages under his shredded clothes, as well as Nihuang having abandoned her customary coronet due to the bandages wrapped around the crown of her head and clothes a size smaller than her frame would allow, revealing her ankles.

The fact that they were followed by Commander Meng deepened the suspicion in his heart. He took in their sombre expressions at a glance, and as soon as they had made their bows, he immediately asked, “Nihuang, what is it? Who has upset you?”

Nihuang knelt down in a bow, and raised her head to speak. “Pray that Your Majesty judge for Nihuang.”

“ _Aiyah_ , rise, quickly rise, tell Us what’s wrong...”

Nihuang knelt unmoving, but fixed her eyes on the Emperor and said, “Noble Consort Yue summoned me to Zhaoren Palace today, under the guise of reminiscing about our homeland, but served tainted wine, which disturbed my mind and spirit and allowed Nihuang to be possessed by a spirit. In my disturbance, she possibly hoped to incite accusations of depravity on my part with Sima Lei, and thus buy my compliance, but the wine had an ill effect resulting in a deviation of my mental faculties. In my madness, the Grand Duke Jing, Commander Meng, and a host of Imperial Guards were forced to knock me out in order to ensure the royal safety. I pray that Your Majesty investigate these events, and give justice to Nihuang.”

Her words were deceptively simple and clear, and thus were all the more horrifying. The Emperor still looked at the Imperial Guard Commander. “Meng Zhi?”

“Your Majesty, your servant has come to report that a _Huang_ bird had attacked Zhaoren Palace at the hour of the monkey.” 1 Meng Zhi’s tone brooked no delay. “We found an intruder, Sima Lei, embedded in the wall outside Zhaoren Palace, and took him into custody for quarantine and treatment. With it having brought down the east wall of Zhaoren Palace’s courtyard, possibly in the process of tossing Sima Lei through the wall, the Grand Duke Jing did indeed charge in armed and evacuated the Crown Prince and the Noble Consort before engaging the... creature... in combat. Without him, the damages would perhaps be much more than already incurred. Either way, barely had His Highness knocked out the... bird... that it reverted into the Grand Duchess Nihuang. With the suspicion of demonic presences in the Palace-”

The Emperor blanched – demonic presences in the Palace indicated not only serious corruption, but an everlasting security issue that was a hot-button topic with this sovereign. “WHAT?! Keep talking!”

“-your servant contacted Priest Zhang at the Department of Secret Books and sealed Zhaoren Palace according to Imperial Guard protocol, pending investigation for witchcraft.”

“Good.” The Emperor growled.

The Emperor, shaking with fury, shouted in one breath, “Call for the Noble Consort and the Crown Prince! Bring them immediately to Yangju Hall!”

This order was carried out remarkably quickly, and soon, not only had those who were suppose to arrive had come, but some who weren’t supposed to come had also arrived. The Empress and Prince Yu had also come to see the show. In a show of remarkable fury, the Emperor had actually laid a blow across the Noble Consort’s shocked visage.

“Consort Yue! Crown Prince! Do you confess to your crime?!” The Emperor bellowed.

Tearfully cradling the abused cheek in one hand, the lady whispered: “Your servant consort does not know what has angered Your Majesty; pray Your Majesty explain.”

“You still feign ignorance?” The Emperor struck the table with his hand. “What did you do today? Tell us!”

“Grand Duchess Nihuang?” Noble Consort Yue muttered. “I invited her to dine today, and the Grand Duchess couldn’t stand the wine and became drunk. She then flew into a rage as the Crown Prince entered Zhaoren Palace. As for what happened afterwards, your servant consort-”

Nihuang’s lips parted. An avian screech reverberated about, causing candles to flicker and for sounds to die away. Nihuang’s mouth closed.

Colour rose in her cheeks. “Nihuang begs pardon from the sovereign.”

The Emperor was at a loss for words. “...”

“Your Majesty!” the Noble Consort protested in the ensuing silence. “Your servant consort only served the Seven Mile Fragrance gifted by Your Majesty. Your Majesty can search your servant’s palace; there is certainly no other wine. As for this Sima Lei, where did Sima Lei come from? Your Majesty has only to find anyone in Zhaoren Palace, and ask if there was a second person who saw Sima Lei there.”

“...Replying to Your Majesty,” the Empress intervened. “Sima Lei was arrested by Commander Meng. Since he had his legs broken as well in the _Huang_ attack, he was secured by two Imperial Guards, who requested the courtyard of Zhengyang Palace to station by.”

The Emperor narrowed his eyes. “Why was the Empress’ courtyard taken over by the Imperial Guards?”

“Replying to Your Majesty,” Meng Zhi replied, “protocol dictated that all people first on the scene have to be quarantined to check for _gu_ curses first. Zhengyang Palace was the closest courtyard. Your servant, the Grand Duchess, and His Highness the Grand Duke Jing also had to be cleared by Priest Zhang’s colleague Priest Ming before requesting a royal audience. I believe that the Crown Prince and the Noble Consort also had to go through the procedure before being allowed to leave on threat of execution without prior reporting, and for that I admit my crime.”

The mother and son showed displeased expressions at the thought, but as Commander of the Imperial Guards and the first respondents to such threats, Meng Zhi was right in that only extreme measures which ignored rank in times of crisis been proven effective against demonic intrusions. Even the Emperor approved: “Quick action!” with a nod was granted on the Commander. “What crime? This is your job!”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

A eunuch’s voice rang from outside the hall: “Your Majesty, Priests Zhang and Ming of the Department of Secret Books requests the royal audience.”

“Summon!” the sovereign roared.

Two priests in deep grey robes appeared before long to prostrate themselves. It almost seemed as though they were floating above the ground, so light was the footfalls amidst rustling cloth.

“Priest Zhang, what do you have to say?” the Emperor demanded before they had even finished their bows.

“Reporting to Your Majesty,” the priest on the Emperor’s right responded, “your servant has just finished the preliminary investigations in the locations. We have seized a wine cup with traces of the demonic substance ‘Desire into Obsession’, though in pieces.”

“Such a strange name,” the Emperor spat. “Continue!”

“Yes. ‘Desire into Obsession’ is a recent addition on not only the Palace list of banned medicines, but also the national list of controlled substances certified to be of witchcraft and sorcery. The drinker would not only temporarily lose all reason upon drinking, but will enter a killing rage as a demon of rage manifests in their body. A common woman drinking this would kill her husband, children, even the dogs and chickens would be torn apart by her bare hands. For the Grand Duchess...”

Priest Zhang paused for effect. “...it was fortunate that she was stopped forcibly before continuing on to Yangju Hall,” was his lame, if effective conclusion.

From how the Emperor had gone a sallow white, it was clear that the day was only going to get worse for the Noble Consort. “Priest Ming? I know that the Department of Secret Books usually concerns only astronomy and astrology, it has been hard on you,” the sovereign quickly added, already making plans in his mind.

“Reporting to Your Majesty, the Grand Duchess is still showing manifestations of the spirit that possessed her,” the other priest reported. “It is a  _Huang_ – a divine creature of highest purity and virtue. Clearly, it did not agree to be channelled by the Grand Duchess through such... means,  nor to be in Sima Lei’s presence. This is not a good omen.”

“What do you think?” the Emperor grumbled.

“With regards to the suspicion of witchcraft and sorcery,” Priest Ming took the question literally, “your servant recommends that: firstly, the case immediately be turned over to the Xuanjing Bureau for magical containment, pending the investigation to be ordered.”

“Good idea,” the Emperor immediately nodded. “Summon the imperial announcer, draft an edict,” he raised his voice. “Is there anything else?”

“Second suggestion: that Noble Consort Yue, His Highness the Crown Prince, and Sima Lei, as the first to be injured on the scene, be quarantined within the Celestial Prison to check for secondary poisoning.”

“My subject Ming,” the Emperor growled, “surely this does not need to be so severe?”

“Reporting to Your Majesty...” the younger Priest Ming swallowed. “...besides the possessed, the first humans to be on the scene tend to also be pursued by wandering spirits. Containment and meditation is also the first recommendations outlined by Director Xia Jiang’s manual. Otherwise, the Huang, once exorcised, may go after the other humans it had seen while possessing the Grand Duchess in order to... possess them.”

The descriptor felt rote at the end, as if the priest had read the Xuanjing Bureau’s manuals by heart. The Emperor stepped away from the Noble Consort and the Crown Prince immediately, to their obvious anguish. “I see,” was his final assessment. “What about Nihuang? And Jingyan,” he immediately added. “And the Commander.”

“Reporting to Your Majesty, the demon of obsession inside the Grand Duchess will not spread, but the treatment must be done outside of the Palace,” Priest Zhang took up when Priest Ming fell silent. “Commander Meng practises _Shaolin_ style, which confers the protections of the Arhats on its practitioners at the highest levels. His Highness Grand Duke Jing is a naturally powerful _Fangshi_ – even the most powerful ghost would not be able to do him harm.”

“How convenient,” was the Emperor’s only remark before he turned to the kneeling consort. “Noble Consort Yue... do you have anything else to say?” Unlike his previous severity, he now spoke with unusual gentleness and fatigue, which was all the more chilling to those who were listening.

Noble Consort Yue’s maquillage could no longer hide the pallor of her skin, and after turning to look at her beloved son, she rushed forward and fell before the Son of Heaven, grabbing onto his leg to cry: “Injustice!”

“Even now, you insist you were wronged?”

“Your servant consort knows she was not wronged,” Noble Consort Yue raised her head, eyes brimming with tears. “The Crown Prince is wronged! All of this was my plan; all this was arranged by your servant consort. The Crown Prince knew nothing! I lied to him, saying I wanted to have a look at Sima Lei, so he brought Sima Lei into the Palace, but he was only following his mother’s orders! Your Majesty knows, Xuan’er has always been filial, not only towards your servant, but towards Your Majesty as well!”

The Emperor kicked out, pushing her away to sprawl onto the floor of Yangju Hall. “If the Crown Prince is innocent,” was the Emperor’s cutting remark, “then why has he not uttered a word of argument since we summoned you?”

“What does Your Majesty want Xuan’er to say?!” she wailed. “Would you ask him to cast all the blame onto his own mother in front of so many people? The Crown Prince is filial, he could not do such a thing! It is because he doesn’t know how to protect himself, that I have done all of this. I am constantly afraid that he would be cheated by others intending to do him harm. I am worried sick, I wish that he might have more people by his side to support him in case he falls into a trap!”

“Nonsense!” The Emperor bellowed, to the hidden smirks of the Empress and Prince Yu. “The Crown Prince is the heir to the throne! Who would plot against him?!”

Only weeping answered him.

“As his Mother Consort, you were supposed to teach him to act morally, to perform his duty diligently, to share his father’s burdens above him, and to be a model for the people below him – that would truly be for his good! Now look at what you’ve done?! You actually dared to use such base and despicable methods? You could not have been redeemed with a hundred deaths today! You nearly dragged Our life into this mess! Look at Nihuang! Look at Jingyan! Even the Crown Prince’s honoured position has been threatened because of you!”

“Your Majesty!” the Noble Consort pleaded harder. “Your Majesty! The Crown Prince is wronged!”

This speech was like a thunderclap of imperial power, but Nihuang’s face showed a bitter smile instead, and the Empress and Prince Yu looked disappointed. No matter how fierce his scolding, in the end, he was only scolding Noble Consort Yue, and his last few words had already shown that he intended to direct the blame away from the Crown Prince.

The Emperor ignored her to round on Meng Zhi. “Meng Zhi!”

“Here!”

“Where is Sima Lei?”

“He is in a stretcher, in the quarantined courtyard. My guards are watching him. His back is broken, and he is not conscious or coherent to be interrogated...”

The Emperor let out an “Oh,” and glanced over at Nihuang to see her response. While thinking that this case pertained to Nihuang’s reputation and should not be handled by the Nine Courts, had intended to personally interrogate the young man. The Lady Commander of the southern border was unmoving, though her head was tilting to one side before jerking.

She caught herself, but the damage was done; it reminded him of a bird, a divine bird, and one which would have killed everything in a mad rush for no reason than being summoned to kill things. In the hands of the lady general, in the top ten of the Langya List...

The Emperor was a bit embarrassed, and turned to scold the guard, “Don’t bother us with unimportant details. He asked for it anyway... Dismissed!”

When the Emperor hurriedly sentenced Sima Lei to exile for the crime of trespassing into forbidden areas, and demoted his father in further punishment, no one expressed any sign of protest.

“And...” the Emperor contemplated. “Priest Ming, Priest Zhang... is this the only option?”

Both priests exchanged looks. “Replying to Your Majesty...” the older Priest Zhang glanced towards the ceiling for a moment. “The Xuanjing Bureau has much more stringent equipment... but they will harm the noble lady.”

“Very well,” the Emperor sighed, contemplating the woman second only to the Empress. “Priests Zhang and Ming, prepare the Celestial Prison for reinforcement against possible backlash now.”

“We obey,” the priests bowed and left in another bound, like dancing in the air. Nobody actually knew if the study of astronomy encouraged such footwork.

The Crown Prince fell to the floor, crying: “Your son is willing to repay the Grand Duchess on behalf of my Mother Consort’s crimes. Imperial Father, please consider Mother Consort’s many years of loyal service, and deal with her lightly...”

“Wretched boy!” The Emperor lifted a leg and kicked the Crown Prince away. “Why did you not stop her from such methods? Where is your filial piety?”

Wailing, the Crown Prince crawled forward, wrapping his arms around the Emperor’s leg.

Lowering his head to look at this heir, the Emperor’s gaze blurred, before his eyes flickered to the burning eyes of his seventh son. The seventh son – the only one besides that one, to inherit the Lin magic to channel flames, for some reason – reminded him of the figure which he wished to forget.

The Emperor’s hand finally came to a rest on the back of the Crown Prince’s head. “Magic... if only...” the Emperor sighed. “Not even then...”

A breath. “The Lady Yue has behaved immorally, her actions are despicable, and she has violated Palace rules, including the abominable crime of attempted witchcraft. From this day forward, she is stripped of her status as Noble Consort and degraded to Concubine, and is likewise stripped of all noble titles, and will be relocated and confined to the Celestial Prison pending investigation by the Xuanjing Bureau executives for sorcery. She may not leave without imperial permission. She may not contact anyone without imperial permissions. Further acts of suspected witchcraft will be handled by the management of the Celestial Prison.”

Lady Yue blanched immediately – the most common method for prisons to disable sorcery and magics was to pull the tongue out.

The Emperor pronounced each word slowly, and finally turned his gaze to the Empress. “Does the Empress have anything to say?”

Seeing the Empress silently lower her eyes, the Emperor turned his gaze to Nihuang. “Nihuang, are you satisfied?”

Nihuang only nodded.

“As for you!” the Emperor eyed the Crown Prince while putting distance between himself and the snivelling royal. “You aren’t Jingyan! Dabbling in such things... there is always another Crown Prince, but what about me, your father?! You will be confined to the Han cell for a year, to study hard and reflect on the morals befitting the Crown Prince, and forbidden from Court during that time! If you are involved in such things again in the future, we will not be so generous again!”

“Your son... obeys...” the heir snivelled.

“Rise, then.” The Emperor’s face cleared, and he raised his head to glance towards the Grand Duke. “Jingyan.”

“Your son is present.”

The Emperor scoffed. “Tell us, how did you know that the Crown Prince and the Noble- no, the Lady Yue was in danger, and to enter to rescue her?”

“Replying to Imperial Father,” Jingyan’s face was completely stoic. “Your son heard the  _Huang_  bird scream. Its cry was heard throughout the Palace and beyond, I believe. Since your son is always sent to handle such crises, your son immediately approached the area. The eastern wall of Zhaoren Palace’s courtyard was caved in, blood covered the rubble, and screams abounded. Your son therefore joined combat. Your Majesty does not appreciate too many details on your son’s... magic...”

“Yueyao could do that, We know deeply, continue,” the Emperor harrumphed, to surprised and fearful looks around.

“Your son therefore distracted the... Grand Duchess... and diverted her whilst Royal Brother and the Lady Yue escaped.” Jingyan reported. “In the heat of combat, your son was forced to concuss the Grand Duchess, and also incurred many injuries, hence our state.”

“Yes, yes,” the Crown Prince agreed slowly. “Seventh Brother has remarkable magic, to be able to fight a  _Huang_  bird like that!”

“As expected of Jingyan,” the steady voice of Prince Yu spoke up. “Of course, his martial ability has always been the greatest of this generation of royals! That technique can fight an army by itself, yes? Don’t worry, Jingyan, your brother has already sent the best medicines to your residence for your use. Just tell your Fifth Brother if you need anything.”

The Emperor’s face rapidly discoloured. “For the destruction of royal property, according to the law, Jingyan should be punished. However,” he added as Nihuang’s eyes widened, “the situation was not without provocation, and you have expended no small effort in saving the Grand Duchess as well as Us, so we will neither reward nor punish you.”

“Prince Yu was acute and perceptive, and has arranged for the medical care of his younger brother, which pleases us greatly,” the sovereign praised. “We hereby reward him one hundred bolts of brocade, one thousand pieces of gold, and bestow one royal pearl, in reward for his work.”

“Your son thanks Your Majesty for the great mercy.” Jingyan tonelessly replied.

“We are tired. You may all leave.”

No one in the hall dared to speak further, and all quietly left. Outside the Hall, the Grand Duchess exchanged words with the princes Yu and Jing – all three who were ignoring the Crown Prince and his mother be taken to the Celestial Prison for further containment. Commander Meng dropped past and spoke to the Grand Duchess and the Grand Duke.

Afterwards, no one quite noticed when the pair left the palace grounds together.

* * *

**1 3 PM to 5 PM.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter is going to be delayed because of real-life reasons, so have two chapters on the same day!
> 
> \- LLS


	11. 癸酉: Haunting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You... are part of the other world, yes?” the Grand Duke Jing thoughtlessly asked. “Grand Duke Jiang fishes – those who are willing jump at the bait? How many throughout history have jumped at this bait?”
> 
> Mei Changsu was conflicted between laughing and crying. “Your Highness, Su is a mere mortal.”
> 
> “Physician Yan’s signboard is not so light that a Jade Rabbit can come down from the Moon Palace to treat a mundane man!”
> 
> _Physician Yan, I know you prize the Guanghan Palace’s signboard, but you don’t have to cause trouble for me like this, right?!_

#  癸酉: Haunting

Meng Zhi’s directions took the two generals to an unmarked building along the northern end of the city. The miasma of demonic activity hung heavy in the air as Mu Nihuang shivered – it had nothing to do with the cold, but the fact that she had to sidestep a lumbering figure which loomed ten  _zhang_ tall over most buildings.

“There’s so many demons in Jinling nowadays, Your Highness Grand Duke Jing,” she commented.

“It cannot be helped,” was the short, clipped answer she received. “The cities are where everyone goes. The Capital Patrols restrict most, if not all common demons to reside in the Northern Hamlet. Having has demon residents for so long, the north of Jinling is where all the strange things reside nowadays. Commander Meng would actually know a physician... that is surprising.”

“Your Highness! Grand Duchess!” Commander Meng hailed them from the steps of the building as he strode out. “Finally. I’ve told Physician Yan your situation, and sent a messenger to the little Lord Mu. Later he’ll come and pick you up once you’re done.”

“There’s a physician for this... possession?” Nihuang exclaimed in a low voice. “Many thanks to Commander Meng for arranging this divine doctor, then. Where is he?”

“Ah, this way.” The Commander escorted them into a room with a low table and a scowling, wizened old man who could only be Physician Yan, up to the fluffy long white ears on both sides of his head.

“First case I meet in the mortal world is a poisoning,” he mumbled as he laid out silver and gold needles to heat them with a candle. “And ‘Desire over Obsession’ at that. Your Highness, did you eat anyone over the course of your possession?”

“What?! No!”

“Then you also got burnt, cut, and shot with arrows, not to mention rope burns... and the Huang is still there. Please give me your right hand, we’re going to start acupuncture.”

Mu Nihuang was so taken aback by the ears that she missed the first three needles at various acupoints in her arm. Xiao Jingyan was hardly better than her in this respect, staring openly at the twitching appendages. “Physician Yan... pardon my language, but are you from Youdu?”

“Do I look like a ghost or a spirit to Your Highness?” Physician Yan jabbed another acupoint with a gold needle, which drew a hiss. “My signboard is far heavier than the Eighteen Levels of Hell.”

“So amazing?” Mu Nihuang hissed. “Then... Physician Yan is from above?”

“Now, this is amazing,” Meng Zhi whispered to Xiao Jingyan. “Here in Jinling we have a lot of ghosts, monsters, demons, fairies, Taoists, Buddhists, shamans, and  _Fangshi_ , but this is the first time I saw a rabbit man!”

“The first four groups only appear in places with corruption,” Meng Zhi was quickly informed. “The next few groups exist to block the first few groups. One follows the other.”

“Well...” Meng Zhi floundered.

“...”

“...ow!” Nihuang automatically said as all needles were withdrawn, and then a bowl of black medicinal broth was placed before her.

“Commander Meng, since you like gossip so much, why don’t you switch careers to fortune-telling?1 Drink this!” Physician Yan handed the Imperial Guard Commander another bowl.

Jingyan blinked as a bowl of the same black broth was shoved in his hands. “I- I’m not possessed.”

“This is the medicine ‘Give Up’, given for dealing with spirit possessions by lingering ghosts.” Physician Yan informed him. “Your Highness were in the fight, yes?”

“Yes...”

“Drink up.”

Jingyan drank it in one gulp, and followed with another bowl of water. “Bitter...”

The door barged open. “Sis! Ah, Your Highness Grand Duke Jing, nice to meet you. I say, Sis,” Mu Qing continued, “what is this Emperor thinking? He doesn’t even reward the one who fought, just that Prince Yu! Even Sir Su was more useful in recommending this bizarre Physician Yan!”

“Qing’er,” Nihuang reproved. “Do not be rude.”

“It’s true!” Mu Qing turned to the Physician. “You’re a rabbit spirit, right? How did you set up your practice?”

Physician Yan stared back at the exuberant young man. “I come from Guanghan Palace.”

“Oh...” Mu Qing slowly nodded. “The Jade Rabbit? The one who pounds the medicines of the gods on the Moon? You’re actually an immortal, please ignore this ignoramus, we have eyes of flesh and mortal senses.2 Physician Yan, is the Chang’e Fairy very beautiful? Ow!!!”

Nihuang withdrew her foot where it had been planted on Mu Qing’s foot. “Many thanks to Physician Yan for the treatment, and to Commander Meng for recommending the physician.”

“No, it was Sir Su... who told me to bring the two of you to Physician Yan...” Meng Zhi trailed off at the sudden heated stare from the Grand Duke. “Your Highness? Your Highness Grand Duke Jing?”

“...” Jingyan blinked slowly, much like a water-buffalo who had walked into a snowdrift. “Just from the Empress inviting the Grand Duchess to dine, how did he figure it out? Is Sir Su...” A god? An immortal? A _Fangshi_? A wandering ghost? He does look partially dead...

“Of course he didn’t find out just from this,” Nihuang explained. “When I arrived at Wuying Hall today, he had already warned me about a possible plot. The details, though... the Empress invited me first so I thought that she was the mastermind, and let down my guard against the Noble Consort... Only, tomorrow I will have to bring gifts and my brother to thank Prince Yu tomorrow.”

“Sis, let’s ignore Prince Yu,” Mu Qing complained, definitely treating Physician Yan as an a regular elder. “Physician Yan, do you like carrots?”

Ignored, Meng Zhi’s momentary bark drew all attention to him.

“Did I say something wrong?” Mu Qing continued. “Rabbit.”

As the little Lord Mu was beaten by his own sister about the head and shoulders, Jingyan elected to ignore this household discipline to ask the physician. “Did Sir Su ask you to treat us? Then... is Sir Su a _Fangshi_ as well? Is his condition...?”

The old man gave him a stare so flat that it could level thresholds. “You do not know, I cannot tell you. Drink up.”

“It’s a secret up there?” Jingyan repeated as he was handed another bowl, and he wordlessly drank it. “How do I know that you are who you say-?”

Then his face fell. “No, the ways of Heaven are beyond mortals to know.”

Physician Yan sighed. “Does it hurt?”

“...no.” Jingyan then scowled. “Do you know what is Sir Su? Don’t answer,” he raised his hand to forestall the physician. “Why did I ask you?”

“Your Highness,” the old man replied, “there are three occupations in which the practitioner needs the truth from their clients. One is the magistrate’s office. The second, are monastics who left home to follow the Buddha or the Way.3 The third are doctors. Since we have the fate to meet today, then that is it. That is the only way I know how to answer Your Highness.”

* * *

Upon the conclusion of today’s rigmarole, Mei Changsu had no idea what to expect from the Grand Duke. There were certainly unexpected things all over the place today, starting from Tingsheng explaining that he needed to find a ghost.

“In the Secluded Courtyard, there was always... someone there at night to protect Tingsheng,” the boy had slowly explained. “Tingsheng is very grateful to Sir Su, but Tingsheng needs to at least tell that female ghost about this good news.”

“...that’s nice,” Mei Changsu commented despite the unpleasant shock that he had felt. “How do you know that... the female ghost is there?”

“The Court ladies-” Tingsheng mimed the act of hanging oneself with three feet of silk before he continued, “-always have that long hair, white robes of silk, and... the front. And, sometimes I hear her, saying ‘good child, good child, Jingyan...’.”

“Ah. I see. Then we must certainly offer her something. Perhaps some incense to appease her spirit and set her on the way.” Mei Changsu quietly considered. “Do not tell His Highness.”

“We servants-” Tingsheng hesitated. “The servants of the Secluded Courtyard never talk about it. They’re trapped in the Palace like us, after all.”

“Good child. Later the Grand Duchess will have a look at all of you, and hopefully... well, the days are long. Go and find Feiliu- _gege_.”

“Yes!”

Xiao Jingyan therefore visited Mei Changsu, and found him in the midst of a brown study which was abruptly broken by Mei Changsu paying the needed courtesies. “Your Highness.”

“Defer the courtesies. Today’s events, do you know about it?” the Grand Duke seemed not to see Mei Changsu’s outstretched arm inviting him to sit, but instead remaining standing with his hands behind his back.

“Hasn’t she already been... rescued safely?”

“If I had arrived just one step later, the Crown Prince, the Noble Consort, the Imperial Guards and myself would have lost our lives before the Emperor was in danger,” Jingyan pointed out. “Then, no matter what force I used, the Grand Duchess would not escape the sin of regicide.” His tone grew hard.

“Although there was danger in the process, everything has ended well. Why is Your Highness in such a rage?” Mei Changsu pondered. “The Grand Duchess’ humiliation cannot be blamed on anyone but the Noble Consort...”

“Do you really care about Grand Duchess Nihuang’s feelings?!” Conflicted feelings crossed Xiao Jingyan’s face. “The feeling of being possessed by a spirit is involuntary. Even in her humiliation, there were things done that she did not want to do, injuries incurred by her hand that she herself did not will! Surely it would have been a small favour to get something to ward off wandering spirits rather than give Noble Consort Yue and the Crown Prince the chance to commit such a crime! It was not enough, was it? Now the result is perfect – I fought her desperately to protect the Emperor, the situation was exciting beyond measure, and the Grand Duchess has gratitude to yourself for providing the rabbit physician! In the future, if any conflict arose, the Yunnan Mu clan would undoubtedly choose to support me. Was this not what you wanted?”

“...Could it be,” and here Mei Changsu felt his heart lurch, “that Your Highness believes that Su purposefully concealed the truth from the Princess, and let everything happen in order to reap the greatest benefit from this plotting?”

“I think you knew something the moment you left the City God temple last night.”

Mei Changsu’s face slackened for a brief moment.

“Sir Su does not seem like the type of person to be superstitious.” Jingyan remarked. “As the only royal son to be born a _Fangshi_ , I happen to enjoy frequent visits to the City God temples. Their divinations are so accurate, it’s like the wind carried someone’s voice to one’s ear. So, the City God temple told you something, it gave you a clue of the events at Zhaoren Palace, so why didn’t you tell her? You didn’t have time to say ‘Consort Yue’?”

Mei Changsu’s thoughts were scattered. He had honestly never thought Prince Jing would misunderstand him in this way. To be frank, thoughts on the supernatural in civilisation had never really entered Mei Changsu’s mind. Even after Lin Chen and the events at Northern Yan, it still beggared his beliefs. For one, Northern Yan had less threats from possessions, and more problems with the fact that half the princes were actively practising Taoist arts to undercut each other in increasingly nasty ways.

For Xiao Jingyan, it must be a different experience – Mei Changsu supposed. As a royal son, an active commander, and a _Fangshi_ , Jingyan was by birth already enmeshed in the world of strange beings, midnight hauntings, and the fact that at night no human would dare to roam unless they had a death wish to be eaten by demons or were part of that exclusive world.

“It is Su’s mistake this time.” Mei Changsu admitted. The water buffalo had finally grown some common sense to have him investigated and tailed – but how? Normal investigations would not elude Feiliu...

Feiliu’s wide, toothy smile from last night crossed his mind.

“This king4 agreed to work with you,” Jingyan continued once he assumed that Mei Changsu’s distracted indifference was affirmation. “You recognised me as your lord. So, you need to know my limits.”

Since it was Mei Changsu’s mistake this time in underestimating the otherworldly tactics, he could only wait for Jingyan to finish his anger. “Your Highness, what are your limits?”

“–there are many strategists, whose actions were the most shameless and evil deeds ever,” Xiao Jingyan started. “Not even the most powerful can stand against the cold arrows of such plots. My brother, my best friend – they all died from such conspiracies. My brother’s bones could not even save him from the poison in the end.”

_Prince Qi_ , Mei Changsu thought. _The former Crown Prince, son of the Luminous Consort, the_ Fangshi  _Lin Yueyao. The only other_ Fangshi _besides Jingyan born of this generation’s royal family._

“I c- cannot find it in myself to let them see me degenerate into ruthlessness like this.”

“Your Highness need not worry,” Mei Changsu automatically spoke. “You will not become that kind of person.”

“How many of such people have you seen before?”

Xiao Jingyan’s question turned abruptly stranger than Mei Changsu expected. “Excuse me?”

“You... are part of the other world, yes?” the Grand Duke Jing thoughtlessly asked. “Grand Duke Jiang fishes – those who are willing jump at the bait?5 How many throughout history have jumped at this bait?”

Mei Changsu was conflicted between laughing and crying. “Your Highness, Su is a mere mortal.”

“Physician Yan’s signboard is not so light that a Jade Rabbit can come down from the Moon Palace to treat a mundane man!”

_Physician Yan, I know you prize the Guanghan Palace’s signboard, but you don’t have to cause trouble for me like this, right?! I’ve been a very good patient the last four times we met!_ “Langya Hall... arranged for him... because they don’t want me to die and thus cause another change in the rankings.”

“But I heard that the famous lists of Langya Hall are the Hall’s assessment of demonstrated talents.”

_Would you stop penetrating the bull’s horn!_ 6 Mei Changsu shouted in his heart.  _Xiao Jingyan, I know that you are affectionate and true, but why do you have no brains?! Wait,_ _s_ _hould I be thankful that you have no brains?_

His breath caught in his throat, like a noose tightening itself on his throat. _There’s still Lie Zhanying’_ _s side_ _._ _For Jingyan to obtain such thorough information so fast... neither Lin Chen nor myself can control the information he gets from_ that  _side._ _I need to delay or divert his investigation, so..._ _I need Jingyan to trust me_ _without knowing that_ _it’s me._ _I need Jingyan to assume that I am a strategist, only a strategist, without looking deeper._ _Better to accept whatever limitations now_ _as a chastened strategist_ _._

“I have no clue as to the workings of Langya Hall,” Mei Changsu lied at last, pushing the blame squarely onto the faraway Lin Chen. “But Your Highness sought Su out in order to discuss limitations, yes?”

“...” Jingyan frowned.

_Your bullheaded temper does not help!_ “Su did not properly consider all angles this time – it is Su’s fault. Therefore, I will take Your Highness’ words to heart.”

“Sir Su, perhaps the path of least resistance and least trouble is sometimes the best path,” Jingyan said at last. “Humans are unpredictable, but limited in their power. The otherworld, on the other hand, has limitless possibilities introduced at the worst possible moments. It is only by sheer luck this time that the plan was successful.”

“Yes, Su takes heed. More precautions would be needed.” Mei Changsu played along, acting out a façade of wounded pride. “Since today is for making rules, can Su say a few words?”

Finally, finally, the Grand Duke sat down. He was receptive. “Please speak.”

“Against Prince Yu and the Crown Prince, one cannot succeed with only passion. Sometimes, we must be more cruel than even the worst demons. If we are complacent, we will lose everything in that moment. Your Highness understands this point, yes?”

Xiao Jingyan’s brows were furrowed tightly. Mei Changsu had been watching the changes in his expression closely, and could only continue to prod: “Your Highness cannot help your discomfort sometimes, but you must bear it. Su know my lord’s boundaries, and Su will not cross them. However, please do trust that Su also has methods and ways of handling matters, and Your Highness will have to get used to them, I am afraid. For our common goal, is it really too much to sacrifice some of our personal feelings?”

A deep breath sounded. The Grand Duke Jing closed his eyes, as if in deep consideration. For a moment, the shadows about the king flickered, as if light was radiating from the surface of his skin. Then, the light died, and he slowly opened his eyes to direct a shining gaze towards Mei Changsu.

“This is what you really believe. I understand. This king will also share with you this truth: this king no longer harbours the slightest trace of brotherly love or affection towards the Crown Prince and Prince Yu. Against them and those who do their will, I do not care what methods you choose to use.”

“Your Highness has frank speech.”

“Since I am working with you, what is the point of hiding anything?”

Mei Changsu finally found a spot to begin. “Such as Lie Zhanying?”

“General Lie was sent by this king.” Xiao Jingyan shrugged. “This king has been waylaid by demons before. There are very unique challenges. I know how to use the men in my command. There still remain ministers who are pure of heart, and who have not participated in the fight for the throne and...”

This created a quandary in Mei Changsu. For one, he was thankful that at least Xiao Jingyan had some sense of self-preservation. On the other hand, it made his task more difficult. “Then General Lie must be an admirable tail. My experts did not notice him at all. Of course he deserves to be Your Highness’ right-hand man, no matter his background. Those who must be used will be used, and for the rest, we will not harm them to the best of our ability. We are still mortals, after all.”

“Since General Lie is still mortal, I am sure that your experts would notice how he tails people soon,” a light smile graced the Grand Duke’s lips, “since he will tail you until you realise it.”

This caused Mei Changsu to stiffen. _Xiao Jingyan, are you messing with my River Left Alliance?!_ _I will find out, or I will share your surname!_

“The storm has begun in this capital city of Jinling,” Mei Changsu murmured in lieu of actually scolding the Grand Duke whom he had chosen. “May Your Highness be resolute.”

Challenge accepted.

* * *

**1 The “Eight Trigrams” ( 八卦), is also synonymous with ‘gossip’ in Chinese. In hindsight, gossip and fortune-telling shared similar roots, in being somewhat tall tales based on the suppositions derived from observing certain phenomena in the world.**

**2 ZH:  肉眼凡胎**

**3 In Chinese, all Taoist priests/priestesses and Buddhists monks/nuns are referred to as ‘those who left home’ ( 出家人 chu jia ren).**

**4 ZH:  本王 (ben wang) , another first-person pronoun used by Chinese royalty.**

**5 ZH:  姜太公釣魚──願者上鉤 (jiang tai gong diao yü – yuan zhe shang gou). This is another reference to _Fengshen Yanyi_. It originates from an anecdote where Jiang Ziya often went angling, but he would hang a straight hook, with no bait, three feet above the water. He over and over again said to himself, "Fish, if you are desperate to live, come and gulp down the hook by yourself." So, this expression means ‘to put one’s own head in the noose’.**

**6 ZH:  钻牛角尖 (zuān niú jiǎo jiān): figuratively ‘to penetrate into a bull's horn’; to waste time on an insoluble or insignificant problem.**


	12. 甲戌: Grievance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “And... the Grand Duke is not particularly intimate with General Lie, young master need not be too heartbroken-”
> 
> “Uncle Thirteen, what have you been gossiping with Lin Chen about? Good night.”

#  甲戌: Grievance

“Zhanying,” His Highness said once they were within the manor compound. “I fear that I have placed great pressure on you.”

“Your Highness?”

“I told Sir Su to locate you in order to test him,” the Grand Duke Jing mused aloud. “I fear that I may have overestimated your ability. These few days I think you might have to ask your brothers to take turns.”

“...your general is unintelligent,” Lie Zhanying murmured. “but why did Your Highness do so?”

“For a man in the pugilist world, surely the methods available to demons there are far more vicious and undercutting than those in the capital,” Jingyan mused. “Sir Su is also far more intelligent and understanding of people than anyone I have met. If the possibility exists, why did he not think of it?”

“Your Highness... Isn’t this a problem of experience?” Lie Zhanying slowly clarified. “Demons will eat your liver to boost their powers. Unorthodox practitioners will want your flesh for eternal youth. Your physical strength is unparalleled in Great Liang right now, but humans age unless Your Highness chooses to cultivate for immortality and thus stop ageing.”

“The Crown Prince has his position and the Eastern Palace to protect him,” the Grand Duke replied. “Prince Yu has his own household  _Fangshi_. Since this strategist claims that he has his own plans, then of course he must think of every possibility – hopefully not to the point of our sovereign,” he clarified. “I do not wish to give up, and the road that the Imperial Uncle chose is not for me. Our mortal world has its own merits. However... it is best not to be ambushed on all sides. Otherwise, I’ll lose this strategist to a stray ghost faster than to either of my brothers.”

“Your Highness, at this rate he won’t even be able to face ghosts...” Lie Zhanying pondered as the sound of footsteps grew louder and faster. “Ah, right. That little bodyguard that Sir Su has, Your Highness was right. He is... also born between humans and demons, but the species of demon is unclear as of now. Do we need to take this case to the Xuanjing Bureau?”

Jingyan scowled immediately. “Are we fighting a war against Sir Su? Xia Jiang would probably risk everything to kill that little boy.”

“Then... your subordinate will investigate.” Lie Zhanying sidestepped the footsteps, cringing as a few hundred catty of stone collided with the Grand Duke. “Foya and Fozhua will take over your protection.”

The prince’s arm struggled from under the mane of a fawning lion statue. “Zhanying, get me up!”

“Sorry, Your Highness. I can’t stop them either...”

* * *

Unseen by the naked eye and shrouded in the heavy smoke of cheap incense, the bearded City God of Jinling glared down at the next ten prayers asking for an answer – all from the same source, all on the same question: _Can I trust Sir Su?_

“Your Highness Grand Duke Jing,” he moaned, “I already gave you ten positives! Even the bamboo cups were all positive? Are you rebelling against the will of Heaven? Miss Gong Yu, I’ve already done my best, any more and His Highness will certainly notice something wrong with the lottery!”

Sitting on the altar invisible to mortal eyes, Gong Yu only cast a simple spell to maintain the bamboo cups for divination in the same position for however long it took for the prince to reassure himself. “Chief ordered to keep things quiet on the Heavenly front. Otherwise he would not have dragged Mr Thirteen into this matter, nor assigned this little one to assist Mr Thirteen against the Red Sleeve Recruits. I am afraid that we can only rely on you, the City God, to block His Highness’ prayers, however accidental.”

“Hmm, I would rather have the Hua tribe!” the City God lamented under his breath in a joke. “The Red Sleeves at least obey the laws of Spiral Market Street. I suppose your Chief Mei is also trying to recruit Aunt Luo?”

Gong Yu snapped her fingers to begin another iteration of the same spell as Xiao Jingyan, unseeing, continued to shake the bamboo cylinder with all the lots within. “Our Chief is looking further up the ladder for the master of Jiyue Hall, in order to complete the arrangement with Langya Hall.”

The City God laughed. “Your Chief has guts! Since the fall of the Yin, the Announcement of Deities was torn in half. Now, the immortal world’s Langya Hall Master holds one half, and the demon world’s Jiyue Hall Master holds the other. Which lowly earth god does not know that whoever enters their name into the Announcement will be deified? There are easier ways to become a god, though...”

“Perhaps our Chief wants to become a god of knowledge,” Gong Yu suggested. “Between Langya Hall for the immortal world, and Jiyue Hall for the underworld, our Chief could possibly know ten thousand things.”1

“So ambitious!” The City God tutted in the kind of voice that presaged gossiping. “Is being a god so good? The Immortals get to laze about all day, but minor gods like us have it so hard... the other day I had to see this messenger from the Mountain of Flowers and Fruits! That monkey’s kingdom hasn’t sent anyone to the mortal world for so long already, why haven’t they disappeared?!”

“The Mountain of Flowers and Fruits?” Gong Yu questioned. “Gong Yu has heard of this country many times from Mr Thirteen. Located in the country of Aolai in the Eastern Continent of Superior Deity, this mountain can be said to be amongst the greatest of demon lairs.”

“Demon lairs?” the City God sighed, shaking his head. “That Thirteen, when was the last time he associated with Above or Below? There are things you still don’t know.”

“Gong Yu is ignorant, may the City God enlighten me.”

“The last time I got a posting in Aolai, the Mountain of Flowers and Fruits is a land of bounty,” the elder deity began. “The animals there learnt to cultivate and become enlightened, organising themselves into tribes, chief amongst them the monkey tribe. Their king took over the chief grotto, the Water Curtain Cave, and thus calls himself the Handsome Monkey King, with all monkeys worshipping him as King. Their civilisation and army is praiseworthy, yet completely following the ways of monkeys. When they rebelled...”

The City God seized up. “Four hundred years after fighting the Heavenly Army, and they’re still running around. They’re still sending their representatives here! The letter is already there! Heavens, the sons and grandsons of the big monkey are coming...!”

“City God, there, there...” Gong Yu patted his hand, and smiled until the prince had left. She then bade the City God temple goodbye and returned to Miaoyin House. Mr Thirteen frowned, scowling across the table to Physician Yan as the crochety old men pointed out what was too much information.

“Ah, Gong Yu, you’re back!” Mr Thirteen broke off the argument to greet her. “Did the City God hear you?”

“Yes, Mr Thirteen.”

“Does he gossip a lot?”

“Mr Thirteen can tell the Chief to relax,” Gong Yu gave a radiant smile. “The immortal world will soon hear that our Chief is searching for the other half of the Canon of Deities. The master of Jiyue Hall would be able to find us soon. Furthermore, Gong Yu has a matter to report.”

“Ah,” Mr Thirteen twirled his whiskers in thought. “This blow to the Crown Prince is over-reaching, so the Chief has ordered us to cut off the Prince Yu’s people first. The Duke Qing case is more or less waiting for the executioner already, so we should get ready.”

“Yes, Mr Thirteen.”

“And...” Mr Thirteen gave a deep sigh. “Li Gang also added, the Grand Duke seems to be testing our Chief.”

“Excuse me?”

“Looks like His Highness the Grand Duke Jing has a half-demon, Lie Zhanying, in his employ,” Mr Thirteen shook his head in disapproval. “He is estranged, but a mother is a terrible thing to contend against, and a demonic one at that – a terrifying thought. His Highness assigned this General Lie to tail our Chief until Chief can spot him. Even Feiliu cannot detect him...”

Mr Thirteen and Gong Yu exchanged looks.

“...Chief knows that demons can change shape, right...?” Gong Yu mumbled.

Mr Thirteen put his face in his hands. “I’m worried for the little master...”

“Should we... tell him? With our Chief’s usual thought process, if the possibility didn’t occur to him at all...”

“Good idea, Gong Yu.” Mr Thirteen hummed as he poured some tea. “Then, the news?”

Gong Yu spoke the news. The pot broke.

“The crazy monkey is sending an ambassador to Jinling?!” Mr Thirteen wrenched the broken handle of his pot around.

“What are you making noise about?” Physician Yan reproved. “Isn’t he trapped under the Mountain of Five Elements? Can he rule his mountain from there? Even if it’s the crazy monkey’s kingdom, didn’t the monkey clan manage to run its affairs very well by itself for over four hundred years?”

“Your Guanghan Palace wasn’t trashed by the monkey!” Mr Thirteen grieved. “Four hundred years ago when the Protector of Horses wrecked the Queen of the Western Heaven’s peach banquet, all the serving fairies were banished! Including me! It was terrible to survive as a musician on earth!”

“Mr Thirteen, that is four hundred years in the past,” Gong Yu begged him. “You have a grievance against that monkey – how many more others have grievances against the Great Sage? But the matter now is that the monkey’s sons and grandsons, one and all, approach Jinling, and our Chief knows neither the reason nor the implication.”

The older musician thought about it. “True. I’ll get Tong Lu to quickly tell Chief. No, I’ll find Chief myself and tell him. Ah, did the City God say the reason for their arrival?” he asked Gong Yu.

“No...”

“A pity. Well, if they sent a letter along then there must certainly be some form of royal audience. It’ll be the talk of Jinling.”

“But demons are not allowed in the Royal Palace or the Palace city,” Gong Yu commented.

Mr Thirteen reasoned back: “Which crazy monkey named Sun will follow in their grandfather’s footsteps if that happens?”

* * *

Therefore, that night Mei Changsu got a shock when the servant in charge of delivering his evening meal suddenly dropped to his knees. “Thirteen greets the young master!”

“Uncle Thirteen, please do not stand on ceremony,” replied Mei Changsu, “but why have you come in disguise?”

Thirteen reported everything: the letter from the Mountain of Flowers and Fruits, the spread of gossip through the Jinling City God to find the master of Jiyue Hall, the fact that Lie Zhanying was probably transforming in order to keep watch on Mei Changsu and company.

“If you already know that he can transform,” Mei Changsu pitched his voice low, his tone urgent, “then why has Uncle Thirteen come here? Is he not watching?”

“That Lie Zhanying, no matter how powerful, is still a mortal with eyes of flesh and a mundane body,” Mr Thirteen replied. “Although I was banished to earth, I was a musician in Heaven! One hand of my magic can still fool this little boy! Of course, I must leave quickly after young master has gotten all the news. Young master cannot give me tea or welcome me as a guest, I am afraid.”

“I am so sorry, Uncle Thirteen has worked hard,” Mei Changsu had a sorrowful expression. “Jingyan’s man... or an employee under Thousand Autumns Pavilion?” He shook his head. “Let us ponder this later. Uncle Thirteen, is there really no idea why the Mountain of Flowers and Fruits have acted? What are the reactions from Tianquan Manor?”

“Tianquan Manor hasn’t moved.” Mr Thirteen hemmed and hawed. “I suppose the news have just recently been sent out... Red Sleeve House might already know. The Crown Prince always lags behind Prince Yu with regards to such news, since the Marquess of Ning lacks for contacts in the Netherworld and the world Above.”

Mei Changsu tutted. “With money, you can make ghosts turn millstones.2 Fortune-tellers and true oracles mix for so long in the pugilist world, don’t tell me that the Marquess of Ning doesn’t have a single one?”

“There is something the young master forgot,” Mr Thirteen tutted. “What is secret amongst mortals is not necessarily a secret in the other realms. You mortals claim that ‘dead men tell no tales’3, but dead men can lodge a suit for grievance with the King Yama in the Ten Courts of Hell. With what we already know of him, the intelligent ghosts and demons would steer clear of such an evil heart just to avoid the mess that is waiting for him after death. The Marquess of Ning has few roads to turn except for Tianquan Manor, and even then they only know what the local gods and deities know.”

“Then, in order for the Capital Patrols to gain the capability to fight demons, the Marquess of Ning will have to approach the Taoists and _Fangshi_ under the Imperial Uncle – but they are either Marquis Yan, who will not listen and has rank enough to ignore him, or they are all occupied with the Emperor’s quest for immortality,” Mei Changsu considered. “I see your meaning. So, the reasons why demons can hold onto Spiral Market Street is because of this issue of mortal men fighting demons.”

“I heard that Aunt Luo in Spiral Market Street ate Xie Yu’s men before,” Mr Thirteen continued. “They really keep the peace, though. Drunks would be scared awake, hooligans like that He Jingzhong’s son behave, fights are settled promptly. If you don’t pay up, a demon will eat your vital energies. Even if there are men that demons cannot afford to kill, they can certainly cause trouble beyond the ability of normal Taoists to fix.”

Mei Changsu hummed. “Oh, yes. What is the situation in the Grand Duke’s household.”

Mr Thirteen shuffled his feet. “We can’t get a spy in.”

The Chief of the River Left Alliance gave a thought. “I expected that. Looks like Jingyan’s pets are still keeping spies out. No matter.”

“Yes...”

“As for the rest, send people to watch the people from the Mountain of Flowers and Fruits.”

“Monkeys.” At the look he received, Mr Thirteen clarified: “The Mountain of Flowers and Fruits is ruled by the Sun clan, who are all monkey demons.”

“As long as they don’t cause havoc in Jinling, they can be anything they like,” Mei Changsu frowned. “I should study the  _Classic of Mountains and Seas_  more... also, help me investigate Lie Zhanying’s background. I’m... if General Lie is a spy...”

“With those stone lions around, I am afraid that General Lie is not a spy, given how he is so trusted by the Grand Duke, they are truly master and subordinate...”

“Excuse me?”

“Nothing, young master.”

“Good.” Mei Changsu rose, looking tired. “If anything happens, you may contact me secretly. I will be moving out of this place soon. Uncle Thirteen, you may take your leave.”

Mr Thirteen bowed and retreated a few steps, then stopped, drew out an embroidered pouch and presented it with both hands. “The young master must not be sleeping well since entering the capital, this den of tigers and wolves. This is a sleep fragrance that Gong Yu spent many months blending, and knowing that I would be seeing the young master today, she asked me to bring it over, pray the young master indulge her efforts and burn a piece before you sleep, to bring you good dreams. Gong Yu gave a lot of knowledge and insights this time as well.”

Mei Changsu paused, some unknown emotion passing over his pale face, but he slowly stretched out a hand and accepted the pouch, slipping it into his sleeve without a second glance. “Alright, please thank Gong Yu for me,” his tone was polite but cold.

“And... the Grand Duke is not particularly intimate with General Lie, young master need not be too heartbroken-”

“Uncle Thirteen, what have you been gossiping with Lin Chen about? Good night.”

Having been dismissed with finality, Mister Thirteen bowed again and left the Snow Cottage, disappearing once again into the night.

* * *

**1 ZH:  万事通 (wan shi tong): indicates a know-it-all.**

**2 ZH:  有钱能使鬼推磨 (you qian neng shi gui tui mo): the Chinese equivalent of ‘money talks’.**

**3 ZH:  死无对证 (sǐ wú duì zhèng): the dead cannot testify (idiom).**


	13. 乙亥: Redress

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Say if the current Crown Prince ascends the throne to become Emperor, and orders another witch hunt out of spite. Is he not mortal as well? Given his weakness to women, wine and song, he is easy to dismiss.” Miss Lí tutted. “If, say if, we had to prevent another mortal like the current Emperor from reaching the throne, our target should be the virtuous, capable, intelligent Prince Yu. This person is far more likely to take action on behalf of Heaven, no?”

# 乙亥: Redress

Upon walking in from the bustling Spiral Market Street into Thousand Autumns Pavilion, the first thing that struck would be the gloomy silence of the interior. Even the candles that burned green did not provide much light – only enough to see the luminous eyes of the man by the counter. The man’s deft fingers played with an abacus, moving beads up and down rods embedded in a frame.

He stopped counting as the doors opened and stood up as a graceful, elegant figure appeared in a whirl of red sleeves. Her soft, clear voice reported:

“I am Qin Banruo, owner of Red Sleeve House. Is your owner in?”

“Replying to Madame Qin,” reported the clerk, “Madame Jiang is not in. Our substitute manager Miss Lí is in. Shall I call her?”

“Please.”

Qin Banruo was shown into a sitting room inside of the pavilion and served tea. In the moments it took to drink her tea, the current presider of the Pavilion entered with a dour expression. “Don’t tell me that His Highness the Prince Yu wants a new face.”

“Miss Lí is as crass as the day she was first enlightened,” Qin Banruo remarked back, already used to the witch’s strange tempers. “My teacher the Princess Xuanji told me to come to Jiyue Hall if I had a problem for which Langya Hall was doubtful.”

“Then it must be an unanswerable question that Qin Banruo has, but this is the Thousand Autumns Pavilion.”

“The Clams who Hide Books1 run Jiyue Hall. Since they collect the knowledge lost to history, their task take them across the earthly realm. How can they stay in one place?” Qin Banruo replied. “Jiyue Hall provides services for demons without differentiating.”

“Even if there was such a thing,” Miss Lí slowly spoke back, “we do not entertain human royalty. You of all people should know that. Furthermore, this is not Jiyue Hall, but the Thousand Autumns Pavilion. Our selling point is that each face we create, all have their own advantages.2”

“Very well,” Qin Banruo nodded. “Today, I came for other matters.”

“Then we have business to talk about.” Miss Lí thawed slightly to conjure a plate of snacks in a flick of her sleeves. “Please.”

“Ah, thank you.” Qin Banruo made no move towards the snacks. “I heard that Mei Changsu is attempting to locate the master of Jiyue Hall. The Thousand Autumns Pavilion is an extension of Jiyue Hall,” she pointed out, “otherwise, how else can it boast to last for a thousand years? Langya Hall came into its prestige only recently – it certainly cannot compete with Madame Jiang. Our Hua clan’s Princesses Xuanji and Linglong praise Jiyue Hall as the backing behind our clan’s foundation in magic.”

“The fox who founded the Hua clan left Madame two hundred years ago for her own purposes.” Miss Lí only replied. “The Hua clan has no relation to Jiyue Hall besides patron and client. Furthermore, it takes more than a pugilist man to move the Madame from the Clam Building in the Sea City.”3

“Banruo fears that it is not just Mei Changsu acting,” Qin Banruo commented. “Behind Mei Changsu could be other forces at work. The Divine Talent appears; the Mountain of Flowers and Fruits leaves the east; _Fangshi_ of the pugilist world gather in Jinling.”

She peered from under her brow towards Miss Lí. “In Jinling itself, a _Huang_ has manifested.”

“Witchcraft is a delicate matter to the human Court,” was the toneless answer given. “The Marquis Yan has not been in Court for so long, but the Emperor still awards him money to research on incense, talismans, and cinnabar.4 The word is that the Imperial Guards have to call in the Department of Secret Books in the case of Grand Duchess Mu Nihuang.”

“The Emperor’s paranoia stem from the fact that magic exists,” Qin Banruo smiled. “On one hand, he is lauded as the Son of Heaven, and demons cannot touch him under normal circumstances. On the other hand, more than one _Fangshi_ had conquered and established kingdoms on the basis of having gained abilities from Heaven – look at Emperor Gaozu of Han, a peasant who became an Emperor, the founding Emperor of a dynasty at that! 5 The Emperor has no magic, and clings to the Heirloom Seal of the Realm as a talisman against the things in the otherworld which he is most afraid of.6”

“He is a human, born with eyes of flesh and a mundane body,” Miss Lí intoned, as if she had been telling this repeatedly for a very long time. “Humans are afraid of ghosts dragging them to Hell, and their curses of nightmares and illness. Demons can infiltrate the Palace and destroy the kingdom from within. Any _Fangshi_ or Taoist with followers and a strong tradition can proclaim themselves as the successor of the Yellow Turbans, Immortals descended to Heaven to establish supremacy on Earth. If the position of Emperor and the Heirloom Seal was enough to fend off the decrees and ordinances of Heaven 7, then why are the history books littered with demons involving themselves in human politics? There was no dynasty yet which was an exception.”

She gave a cold laugh. “There is a Heaven outside of Heaven and men better than even the world’s greatest people.8 People become ghosts, and they would probably file a complaint against him in the Earth Mansion.9”

“There is another reason behind this,” Qin Banruo pressed. “Why the historic rule that neither the Emperor nor the Eastern Palace can hire _Fangshi_ is enforced so strictly... The fact that he ordered Marquis Yan to undertake research into the elixir of life, that Prince Qi was granted death so fast, and that Grand Duke Jing is so unfavoured. All of those stem from the fact that they were born with the bones of Immortals, and thus the potential to cultivate to immortality. Ruled by fear and jealousy. This is not the kind of mortal who would be good to the demons in the secular world if he continues on the throne.”

“Does he rule the world? The deer lost by Qin has expanded its reach,” the oracle of Thousand Autumns Pavilion chewed her own snack thoroughly. “He is human. It is the fate of humans to die.”

Qin Banruo considered her empty cup. “We are the same kind, all demons. Banruo has inherited Princess Xuanji’s will. Why?”

Miss Lí relaxed her grip on her cup. It fell apart, a pile of white shards and powder that stood out against the dark hardwood of the table.

“Qin Banruo... your rhetoric is clever as an invitation for Jiyue Hall to support your Hua clan in wrecking this kingdom. It will not work for three reasons.”

Miss Lí’s eyes changed to amber. “First, Mei Changsu locating the master of Jiyue Hall is a matter of course. Which Divine Talent would not want one half of the Canon of Deities? Second, the Mountain of Flowers and Fruits moving is an outside matter – not even Jiyue Hall can control the Great Sage’s army.”

A cruel smile formed on her face. “Third, and last, even if the fight for the throne of Great Liang was to threaten all the world... Jiyue Hall has no reason to move. There is no interregnum. The dynasty has not changed.”

“No reason...” Qin Banruo echoed. “If this Crown Prince ascends the throne, we demons will all die! Your Thousand Autumns Pavilion, Aunt Luo, perhaps even Jiyue Hall itself!”

“Say if the current Crown Prince ascends the throne to become Emperor, and orders another witch hunt out of spite. Is he not mortal as well? Given his weakness to women, wine and song, he is easy to dismiss.” Miss Lí tutted. “If, say _if_ , we had to prevent another mortal like the current Emperor from reaching the throne, our target should be the virtuous, capable, intelligent Prince Yu. This person is far more likely to take action on behalf of Heaven, no?10”

“...Banruo understands your reasoning.” the red-dressed fox relented. “As a demon without attachments to this secular world, that is indeed the correct action to take. Prince Yu is a human, no matter why or wherefore that Teacher told us to support him. Banruo has taken too much of the Pavilion’s time. Banruo must say goodbye then.”

“Send the guest out.” The two women saluted and Qin Banruo sauntered out.

“Ba-ge, inform Huiying to increase surveillance on Prince Yu’s side.” Miss Lí ordered once the clerk returned. “And, bring a new pot of tea. We have a guest coming.”

The clerk from outside blinked, in the midst of clearing up the table. “Oh?”

“Madame Jiang met an acquaintance in Bing Province. With this coincidence, another was born, and thus we will have a guest.”

“Oh, I see.” Ba-ge prepared another pot dutifully, setting it on the table before backing out. Miss Lí waited.

* * *

Barely had the time for a joss-stick to finish burning pass that a dusty, travel-worn figure in simple pale-coloured robes marched into the room, hair askew. It was followed by the harried clerk.

Miss Lí rose into a deep salute. “Lí of Thousand Autumns Pavilion welcomes the Xuanjing Bureau senior executive Xia Dong, Madam Xia.11 Ba-ge, I will take it from here, go man the counter.”

The beautiful lady officer of the Xuanjing Bureau laughed loudly. “I thought that madman in Bing Province was related to demons... I see that Thousand Autumns Pavilion has branched out.”

“Lí does not know, but Madam Xia has come today on official business, I see.”

Xia Dong’s lips thinned.

In the history of Great Liang, there had long been an investigations institution that answered directly to the Emperor – the Xuanjing Bureau. Its members were known as Xuanjing Officers, and its craft was passed down from master to apprentice, with an extremely high degree of loyalty to the Emperor and operating directly by imperial decree to investigate the most important, most secretive cases. It was also one of the few respectable jobs open to _Fangshi_ not born to nobility, in the army, or pursuing religion – the last often confused for demon-slayers or exorcists who ended up with the Department of Secret Books. The current roster of senior personnel were all _Fangshi_ : Director Xia Jiang, who had trained three apprentices: Xia Qiu and Xia Dong, who were fraternal twins, and Xia Chun, who was not related to them by blood. They had completely different temperaments, but had become very close like all those generations of officers before them.

“Still lying!” Xia Dong roared. “Do you think that this Xia Dong is a three-year-old child? Who else would know the Underworld nickname for the Xuanjing Bureau?”

“Lí cannot confess, for everyone in the Underworld has heard the reputation of the Xuanjing Bureau.” Miss Lí smiled at the disturbed lady. “Is Madam referring to ‘Mirror of Sins’ or ‘Demon-Revealing Mirror’?”12

“Either! Both!” Xia Dong scowled – due to her rigorous internal training and excellent bones, she looked significantly younger than her actual age. “Especially that clerk outside!”

“Ba-ge has not left the city limits at all.” Lí sighed. “Of course, Madam will not believe that, and met a madman with his face. The faces of our Pavilion all have their own advantages – that is the pride of the service we offer to demons in the city.”

“Demons can easily travel thousands of miles in times far shorter than humans!” Xia Dong bit back, folding her arms. “And...”

“And the madman told Madam something which disturbed Madam’s heart, and so Madam Xia has travelled from distant parts back in order to confirm the deeds,” Lí smiled. “But that is not the only thing the madman told you.”

“That is not the only thing the madman told me, no,” Xia Dong gave a hiss. “The Mountain of Flowers and Fruits... everything starts from there. And your Pavilion, this place which specialises in drawings skins and disguising monsters as humans... if you can do that, then why can the reverse process not happen? If you are right... no, if that messenger is right... then even if he is reduced to ashes, I will not be fooled a second time! Whether by humans or by demons!”

* * *

Because of the nature of their business, Xuanjing officers kept a low profile, and Xia Dong’s return to the capital was no exception. Even if her tracks had been lost somewhere in the streets which sometimes appeared and disappeared with the winds in Spiral Market Street, she was soon spotted moving freely between the Royal Palace, the residence of the Marquess of Ning, and the Mu manor, and then she retreated deep into the residence of the Xuanjing Bureau.

The expected bombshell of Xia Dong’s return to the capital, the ‘Bing Province Land Infringement Case’, had not exploded yet; this calm before the storm was difficult to bear. The old Duke of Qing had long since taken leave and was lying sick at home – according to the imperial physicians, his illness was no pretence.

Another event that everyone had been expecting also failed to materialise was the engagement of Grand Duchess Nihuang. The matter had simply fallen apart – Baili Qi disappeared, the Grand Duchess took apart the remaining candidates in single combat, no one was chosen this time although rumours of a Su Zhe being considered persisted.

The Crown Prince, who had been confined for reflection after the conclusion of their quarantine in the Celestial Prison, was on his best behaviour, and although he could not publicly apologise to the Grand Duchess, whenever the Eastern Palace people met their counterparts from the Mu household, they would bow and yield with extreme politeness, rendering the Mu household speechless, and so the relations between the two households did not publicly deteriorate. The Concubine Yue also milked her suffering for all it was worth, and her performance into a wan, sallow ageing woman stirred up pity in the Emperor’s heart, though not enough to forgive the slight against his life.

No one could understand what these people were up to – at least, thus was reported by Li Gang after a visit to the various spies of the Alliance and a few more in the Northern Hamlet.

“No wonder spirit-channelling is so popular,” Mei Changsu commented in between folding papers into various shapes and flowers before his secret guest. “Spirits really gossip a lot. I already knew about the Duke of Qing yesterday, and it took so long for word to spread... except for the one place where I still can’t get information...”

“Chief,” Li Gang reported back, “is there anything else we need to report about the Grand Duke Jing? Miss Gong Yu said... the City God is really fed up with the same question already, and like this His Highness is really going to believe that Chief is a demon, even though Chief is actually-”

“Brother Li, it is better to remain quiet about such matters.” Mei Changsu heaved a deep sigh. “Birds... can Feiliu detect him?”

“Still... not yet.” Li Gang shifted from where he knelt. “That’s why Chief has to resort to the tricks learnt from Old Master Lin.”

“Although I did not have the bones of immortals before this, at least I can do these minor parlour tricks.” Mei Changsu held up a paper lotus and blew. The paper lit up immediately and began burning. Satisfied, he set the paper lotus into the brazier which was a near-constant presence by his side as autumn waned to winter. “Birds will be migrating south soon – Lie Zhanying would not be able to spy during the winter. In three days, I will be visiting the Lan Manor that we just bought. Do they know?”

“The residents of Lan Manor know not to appear at any point during the case,” Li Gang shuddered. “It took so long...”

“As spirits with wrongful grievances, obviously they began rotting when Zhang Jin died, their grievances avenged by the primary instigator.” Mei Changsu’s eyes fell down to the table, where a stack of wooden blocks were piled next to the paper lotuses and flowers – especially the plum blossoms folded from pink paper. “The nature of justice as exercised by the Netherworld is that the rest of the three realms do not necessarily know of it.”

“The Netherworld has its justice, and so does the human world. This revenge we must take,” Li Gang affirmed. “After all, the Netherworld took Zhang Jin, not Lou Zijing.”

“Of course. So... at least, this minor issue is complete. So, while the Duke of Qing is panicked, and the Crown Prince is going to lose another minister... take a message to Commander Meng. We do not want to sacrifice two men to Aunt Luo.”

It was at this time, when events seemed to have slowed to a stop, that Su Zhe leisurely chose a fine, sunny day, and invited several of his young friends to accompany him out.

 

* * *

**1 藏书蛤 (cang shu ge) ‘clam that hides books’. This is a pun on 藏书阁 (cang shu ge) ‘library’ from my previous fics.**

**2 ‘Thousand Autumns’ (千秋 qian qiu) is a poetic way to describe a very long time, hence ‘for all eternity’ (万古千秋) and ‘throughout the ages’ (千秋万代). There is also ‘each has their own advantages’ (各有千秋 ge you qian qiu).**

**3 ZH: 海市蜃楼 (hǎi shì shèn lóu): mirage (literal or figurative). Here I used a literal reading of this expression.**

**4 Mercury sulphide was believed to be part of the ingredients for the elixir of life in Taoist thought – which also led to a corresponding number of emperors dying from mercury poisoning in the mistaken belief of prolonging their lifespan.**

**5 Before becoming emperor, Liu Bang was a Qin officer the task with escorting a group of convicts to Mount Li to build Qin Shi Huang's mausoleum. When some prisoners escaped during the journey, Liu Bang feared for his life because allowing convicts to escape was a capital offence under Qin law. He eventually released the remaining prisoners and became a fugitive. Some of the convicts he released were so touched they joined him on their own accord. In legend, they encountered a gigantic white serpent which killed some people with its poisonous breath. Liu Bang, while drunk, slew the serpent that night and encountered an old woman weeping by the road the next morning. When Liu Bang's men asked her why she was crying, she replied, "My child, the White Emperor's son, has been slain by the son of the Red Emperor." She then disappeared mysteriously. After hearing the old woman's strange words, Liu Bang's followers believed that Liu was destined to become a ruler in the future and became more impressed with him. This event is known as the "Uprising of the Slaying of the White Serpent" (Chinese: 斬白蛇起義).**

**6 The Heirloom Seal of the Realm (传国玺 chuán guó xǐ), also known in English as the Imperial Seal of China, is a Chinese jade seal carved out of the He Shi Jade (see footnotes in Prologue). It was seen as a legitimising device, signalling the Mandate of Heaven. During turbulent periods, such as the Three Kingdoms period, the seal became the object of rivalry and armed conflict. The Seal was passed on even as dynasties rose and fell, but was lost to history after the Tang dynasty. In NiF, all the emphasis is placed on ‘seizing the right to inherit’ (夺嫡duo di) or the dragon chair (龙椅 long yi), because the conflict in NiF was about ‘the right to inherit a throne’, not exactly ‘the right to rule the world’ – there are still other kingdoms which claim themselves as emperors such as Great Yu, Northern Yan etc.**

**7 Ancient Chinese political thought places the Emperor’s government on Earth as the earthly extension of the Celestial Bureaucracy. Therefore, phrases like ‘with most haste in accordance with the law’ (急急如律令) was adopted into Taoism as a way to imbue commands with divine authority, and then this also appeared in Japanese _Onmy_ _ō_ _d_ _o_.**

**8 ZH: 天外有天, 人上有人 (tian wai you tian, ren shang you ren).**

**9 One of the names for the Chinese afterlife.**

**10 ZH: 替天行道 (ti tian xing dao).**

**11 Here, Madam refers to 大人 (da ren), which is usually used to address Ancient Chinese officials – unless they’re Shen Zhui and Cai Quan. Since the word itself is not gendered (like huangdi), men and women can easily use it, but it doesn’t appear often. Since the translation is a bit wonky, I just used the usual pronouns.**

**12 The Mirror of Sins is used in Hell to judge souls. Standing before it, all the things that the soul had done in life would be reflected inside it. This is not the kind of prosecutor that’s easy to deal with...**

**The Demon-Revealing Mirror is an item in Chinese mythology which can reflect the true faces of demons and monsters.**

**Both are plays on the Xuanjing Bureau (悬镜司) which is composed of the characters for ‘hang/suspend/worry/public announcement/unresolved/baseless’, ‘mirror/lens’, and ‘department’.**


	14. 丙子: Grave Visit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “See,” the Crown Prince complained, “this is another area where I lose to Old Fifth. What use is destroying evidence and silencing people when it’s possible to drag out the ghosts to testify in their own murders?”

#  丙子: Grave Visit

About seven or eight days later, the Lan Manor case had blown up around the capital. Perhaps it was because the ones reporting the case did not come from simple backgrounds. Perhaps it was also due to the fact that no fewer than ten sets of human skeletons, all completely decomposed, and which all seemed to be female, were unearthed by the Capital Magistrate Office staff in preliminary investigations.

In any case, the Capital Magistrate Gao Sheng was ordered by his superiors to take the case and was given a strict deadline, and he was still up to his earlobes in the investigation. The current owner knew nothing after repeated questioning, and anyway Gao Sheng did not dare to inconvenience him further. The manor had changed hands twice this year – current owner included – and was originally owned by a man of uncertain background called Zhang Jin, who had once owned numerous houses of entertainment in the capital, and who was low-key but powerful in his wealth and relations. He had died of sickness four years ago, and his businesses too gradually died off, thus this Lan Manor had been released for sale.

“Lord Gao,” his right-hand man fretted, “do we need to call the people in Thousand Autumns Pavilion?”

The Capital Magistrate scowled. “What for?”

“To identify the dead women...” the subordinate cringed. “Though it would cost money, not identifying them would provoke the populace that the government does not provide for the people."

Gao Sheng frowned. “Good point. Then, go and find Mr Ba-ge.”

“Eh? But, shouldn’t we find the master instead of the student?” The subordinate had his ears boxed for his trouble.

“If we need to call in Miss Lí every time we get a decomposed unidentified body, the office’s funds would have all gone to the Pavilion already! Go!”

Gao Sheng had also sent people to detain the Zhang family for further questioning. At this time, a man named Shi Douguan suddenly came forward to the Magistrate Office with the claim of having been one of Zhang Jin’s trusted aides before his death. Reporting that he had received death threats regarding this case and begging for protection from the court, Gao Sheng was delighted with this lead and planned to stay up all night questioning him.

Unfortunately, he had only just begun when a message borne by a servant had arrived from the Crown Prince.

“An order from the Crown Prince,” reported the young eunuch messenger once Gao Sheng had changed into his official attire and knelt in the great hall to receive the missive. “ ‘I have heard about the case of the ‘corpses in the well’ in our royal city, and in such a matter as this, it is not possible for me, as the head of the government, not to inquire further, and therefore I hereby summon Capital Magistrate Gao Sheng to enter the Eastern Palace tomorrow to discuss this matter in person. End order.’ ”

“This subject Gao Sheng receives the Crown Prince’s order.”

After the eunuch messenger had left, Gao Sheng turned the matter over in his mind uneasily. After some thought, Gao Sheng ordered for Shi Douguan to be brought from the interrogation room, and took him into his personal room in his own house. In the subsequent interrogation, Gao Sheng also purposefully dismissed all his subordinates and servants from the room.

He came out with his face cleared of all colour.

“Men! Send for Miss Lí instead!”

* * *

“Lou Zijing! There’s a record book?!” His Highness Xiao Jingxuan, the current Crown Prince of Great Liang, was scolding the man in question – Minister Lou of the Ministry of Trade in the Eastern Palace. “How could you be so careless?!”

“Your subject did not expect Zhang Jin to do that either!” the minister protested both to his lord and to the Marquess of Ning. “After the case was exposed, I was petrified and remembered that Shi Douguan was also there, so I tried to keep him quiet but- he escaped! That’s when I found out about the record.”

“And? Where is Shi Douguan now?” Xie Yu demanded.

“T- The Capital Magistrate Office.” Lou Zijing cowered. “I have no idea why, but the assassins I hired all...”

“Perhaps,” Xie Yu suggested, “they found that pointing blades at a target protected by the River Left Alliance was not exactly promising as an easy target.”

“...Mei Changsu!” The Crown Prince roared, pacing around after having flipped over a stack of books in anger. “That Mei Changsu again! Why must he pick that house out of so many in the capital?! He even had to drop into the well when walking on the road! Isn’t he deliberately targeting me like this?!”

“May Your Highness cease your anger,” Xie Yu murmured. “We have lost the first strike, but we are not hopeless. However, we must know more information first.”

Thus, Minister Lou was sent home with more platitudes and assurances, the Crown Prince sent a missive, and Gao Sheng presented himself at the Eastern Palace to report his progress so far...

“Your Highness, we have contracted a reliable coroner to identify the faces.”

“Identify faces? Aren’t they all rotted?”

“Replying to Your Highness, Thousand Autumns Pavilion specialise in facial medicine. Though the flesh itself have rotted away, they can identify and draw life-like portraits of the deceased victims. We are hoping that with time, someone would step forward to claim the body for burial.”

Since the interrogation continued in such a fashion, with Gao Sheng continuing to elaborate on the victims rather than witnesses, Xiao Jingxuan was angered. He was about to snap in anger when Xie Yu made a sweeping motion with his right hand. The message was received, Gao Sheng was thus saved from imperial anger, and thus sent out to continue the investigation.

“Your Highness, Thousand Autumns Pavilion is a demon-owned medical hall in Spiral Market Street,” Xie Yu reported once Gao Sheng had left. “I am afraid that Lou Zijing is beyond saving.”

“Why do you say so?” the Crown Prince furrowed his brow, his bottom lip jutting out.

“Even if demons cannot go...” Xie Yu pointed up with his right hand, “they can go...” the finger pointed down, “and locate the victims. At that time, even if the courts in this world did not sue, I am afraid that, by the end of tonight, the Black and White Impermanences could have already dragged down all the people implicated in this matter. If justice is not to be delivered in this world, then the otherworld will act.” He sighed.

“See,” the Crown Prince complained, “this is another area where I lose to Old Fifth. What use is destroying evidence and silencing people when it’s possible to drag out the ghosts to testify in their own murders?”

“Replying to Your Highness, it is only the Capital Magistrate contracting Thousand Autumns Pavilion in this matter,” Xie Yu lightly responded. “Because the Capital Magistrate acts in the course of his duties to the Imperial Court and His Majesty, the Thousand Autumns Pavilion must therefore respond in kind. The fact that Mei Changsu uncovered the case would not change this point; Gao Sheng had to account for the bodies, hence he can only summon a medical professional to manually identify the faces amongst the female corpses. The fact that coroners who specialise in such work are mostly demons of Thousand Autumns Pavilion only makes sense because demons handle bones the most in the course of their lives.”

“Because they eat people!” The Crown Prince harrumphed to show his displeasure. “Asking a murderer to identify corpses, what is this Gao Sheng thinking?” He thought again. “What about Mei Changsu?”

“About the Divine Talent, we can only destroy what we cannot get,” Xie Yu reported. “Mei Changsu will not be able to talk his way out if we figure out his defences... but, recently he has been looking at houses, hence the Lan Manor case.”

“I see that he won’t stay under your roof for much longer,” contemplated Xiao Jingxuan. “Is it possible... to remove him before he moves out?”

“In this matter, your subject will do his best.” Xie Yu only bowed. “The Tianquan Manor might be smaller, but Zhuo Dingfeng is still a first-rate _Fangshi_ able to fight on par with demons in sheer strength... of course, there are people above people, so we shall have to plan carefully...”

* * *

That night, a lantern also burned in the study of Prince Yu’s residence far into the early hours.

“This Shi Douguan really has a list of names on his person?” Xiao Jinghuan, the Prince Yu, paced back and forth. “Are we certain of this piece of news, Huiying?”

“Your servant can guarantee it.” A nondescript person dressed in grey robes stood before him. “Except for demons, the one surnamed Zhang was able to fulfil most requests for entertainment. With time, it was not unusual for clients to accidentally kill the girls, and the corpses found are part of that group. Five years ago, the ghosts managed to take their revenge on Zhang Jin. He died of a stroke, those exchanges were halted, and it was just that no one could imagine that he had disposed of those corpses so carelessly, or that he had actually recorded the events in writing, that this case even reached the mortal courts.”

A dim light grew in Prince Yu’s gaze. “So, the names...”

“They are all people of renown and repute, and some are even important members of the court.”

“Our side?”

“There are people from both sides, but His Highness the Crown Prince and his people have much more reason to worry.”

“Why?”

“One of them is Lou Zijing.”

Prince Yu’s eyes shone, and he let out a great laugh. “The Crown Prince’s money bag? Haha, he must be panicking. I heard that he has summoned Gao Sheng into the Eastern Palace... Gao Sheng may not look like much, but he is no ordinary official, and no matter how the Crown Prince pressures him, he will still be able to withstand for two to three days at least. Xiao Jingxuan, you just left quarantine and already so much more trouble has appeared for you...”

“Your Highness...”

“Huiying?”

“Once Thousand Autumn Pavilion finds out that Zhang Jin was running an illegal brothel outside of Spiral Market Street, and thus cutting into their profit, the normal pugilist world would look simple compared to vengeful demons,” the man in grey finally said. “I am afraid that people on both sides – in fact, the full list...”

Prince Yu frowned. “Isn’t Thousand Autumn Pavilion a demon-established medical establishment? Why would they bother with these things?”

“This...”

The thick velvet curtain on the eastern side of the room trembled gently, and the soft, clear voice of a woman quietly spoke: “It is not so simple, yes?”

Huiying bowed lower. “Miss Qin.”

“Oh?” Prince Yu hummed. “Banruo, do you know the answer?”

“Thousand Autumn Pavilion provides certain medical services, particularly in drawing skins and faces for demons. That is partly a front,” Qin Banruo clarified. “Behind it is Madame Jiang, to which even my Red Sleeve House must pay tribute as part of Spiral Market Street, and the River Left Alliance must ask permission from her to operate. In this manner, Magistrate Gao is intelligent enough to ask them to step in and clear their own names.”

The fifth royal son was taken aback. “Why?”

“Replying to Your Highness,” Qin Banruo’s voice had a mildly acerbic tone, “people tend to associate houses filled with corpses with demonic feasts.”

“Ah, I see.” Prince Yu inclined his head. “I did not realise... please, continue.”

“Mei Changsu might have guessed it or not,” Qin Banruo analysed. “However, there was certainly a personal grievance on his end. Lou Zijing is a rare talent, and therefore became a trusted confidante of the Crown Prince, but his uncontrollable lust is not easily changed. Banruo found out that when he was in Yi Province, he forcibly took a pair of twin sisters into his residence, but their older cousin was a lowly member of the River Left Alliance, and he begged his lord to personally ask Lou Zijing to return his younger sisters. Lou Zijing consented, and then returned to his residence and first violently raped the sisters before releasing them. The two young ladies committed suicide in shame, but Lou Zijing denied his crime, and the Alliance could not find any proof, and so could only watch him evade the law, and thus were born the seeds of this case. These events were never made public, and few know about them...”

Prince Yu waited, and then saw that the young woman had no intention of continuing. “There’s only this bit of enmity?”

Banruo tilted her head. “Your Highness feels it is not enough?”

“Of course not!” Prince Yu exclaimed. “Lou Zijing is the Minister of Trade, and the Crown Prince’s trusted adviser, and Mei Changsu would make an enemy of him just for the sake of the sisters of one lowly member of his alliance? Let’s not talk about just him, what about this Madame Jiang? Just cheating out some protection money is enough to call a feud on him?”

“...Your Highness,” Banruo bowed, “That Mei Changsu chose to borrow this knife to kill Lou Zijing is most likely due to convenience. It was precisely because Lou Zijing looked down on his Alliance and paid them lip service before enacting this grotesque drama that he committed the great taboo against them, and so naturally his actions were regarded as provocation. Madame Jiang also has a certain reputation. She does not need a reason to spare Lou Zijing and others in the first place, since they withheld payment from her. Because the female corpses were also found in her territory, she was further incensed. She would now certainly pursue the matter to the end, round up all the men who took part in it, kill them and scatter their souls until they can never reincarnate. In this matter, these two genii have unwittingly allied in their aim to bury Lou Zijing in a shallow grave.”

Prince Yu winced before something occurred to him. “Wait, if Lou Zijing dies, won’t the case be dropped? What about the rest of our men?”

“The tempers of thousand-year-old demonesses are equal to Divine Talents,” Banruo mused lightly, but straightened her back. “Demons will hold deep grudges. Does Your Highness recall the plague sixteen years ago which killed the Empress’ birth son, and thus she adopted you and raised Your Highness?”

“Of course...”

“That plague was the result of a demoness cursing another person. In the end, their grudge escalated to affect the well-being of a city. Madame Jiang might have... further consequences.”

“Banruo, can Red Sleeve House do something?”

“Were it a minor offence, the saying ‘with money one can make ghosts turn millstones’ might be appropriate. But, there are corpses in other people’s backyard...” Banruo frowned lightly.

“About this...” Huiying spoke up. “Your Highness, my drinking buddy is Mr Ba-ge, a clerk at Thousand Autumns Pavilion. I can use him to plead with Miss Lí, and Miss Qin can go to Aunt Luo of Spiral Market Street. Miss Lí and Aunt Luo are the ones who report directly to Madame Jiang, so if we can convince them that justice on earth would hurt Lou Zijing and others... and if we focus on the Crown Prince’s supporters, Madame Jiang might forget the rest.”

“Good idea!” Prince Yu nodded, motioning for Huiying to move close. The prince whispered a few names in his ear, then said, “I must trouble you further tonight to go in my place to speak to these people in secret, and ask them frankly whether they have had interactions with Zhang Jin in the past, and whether they have killed anyone, and if they are honest, I will naturally find a way to keep them safe, but if they lie, then they will deserve their punishment when they are found out.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“As long as these few are not on the list, I don’t care about anyone else being found out. If we are not willing to sacrifice a few of our people, how could we catch the great wolf?”

Huiying was accustomed to such callous abandonment, and did not comment, only answering, “Yes, Your Highness” before withdrawing.

“Banruo,” Prince Yu started. “A question just occurred to me. Wouldn’t this Madame Jiang that you keep mentioning turn on Mei Changsu as well?”

“Your Highness, at this point there is something you do not know.” At the prince’s look, Qin Banruo detailed: “Demons tend to pass unremarked into history, which is written by humans. Those whom we serve also tend to be painted as villains in history, or unremembered. However, Madame Jiang’s surname comes from her service to the Grand Duke Jiang Shang, Jiang Ziya. Her résumé of lords include Duke Wen of Zhou, Count He of Gong, Gongsun Yang, Li Si, Huo Guang, Empress Hexi, Cao Mengde, and Sima Zhongda – all of whom had made their mark in memory and history.”

At this, the Prince let out a low whistle. “That is certainly a weighty reputation... but if her lords have all made their marks in history, then how is she strange?”

“None of the people are lords in their own right – nominally, all of them served a lord in history,” Banruo explained. “Here lies her strange temper – lords themselves needs assistants, but Madame Jiang is the type to locate those who serve those lords and serve them instead.”

“I can see what you mean,” Prince Yu mused. “For a talent to choose his own lord is rare, but for that talent to also be chosen by another weighty talent and be supported must be much rarer. So, your point is that Madame Jiang might be accommodating the Divine Talent of this generation, and thus I need simply to focus on the Divine Talent? If he favours me, then I might get Madame Jiang on my side?”

“I do not dare comment on this. Mei Changsu alone is a mystery, but with Madame Jiang it simply becomes incomprehensible.” Qin Banruo sighed lightly.

“Fine. Don’t talk about demons for now.” Prince Yu started pacing. “From the information you gathered, Mei Changsu had no prior connections in Court?”

“No,” Qin Banruo confirmed. “After the invitations from both were sent, Mei Changsu on one hand declined the offers of Your Highnesses, and on the other hand left the heart of the Jiangzuo Alliance and finally moved into the capital.”

“He probably knows that talents that gain the attention of the Crown Prince and myself only have two roads to choose from,” Prince Yu reasoned aloud, “and as the chief of Jiangzuo Alliance, this top-ranked gentleman of the Langya List has led a contented life, why would he want to choose a dead end?”

“But the road he is walking now, does Your Highness think it is a way to survive?”

Prince Yu was startled, and stayed silent.

“At first, he offended Your Highness slightly in the matter of the Duke of Qing’s case,” Qin Banruo detailed. “If he has slightly offended Your Highness over the matter of the Duke of Qing, then he has greatly offended the Crown Prince in the _Huang_ bird case.”

Banruo arranged the tassels on her sleeve. A white jade bracelet glistening on her wrist. “His actions now have truly exceeded my expectations.”

“Perhaps some parts were coincidence,” Prince Yu pronounced slowly. “Perhaps he did not arrange anything, and only came across the news... or perhaps he only wanted to save Nihuang...”

Qin Banruo thought for a moment, and agreed that it was unlikely that Mei Changsu had been able to single-handedly control the matter, nodded her head.

Prince Yu smirked. “Contact Duan Jin tomorrow, I have some news the Crown Prince should hear, and make sure she acts as naturally as possible. Madame Jiang is not here and cannot be controlled, but Banruo, I must have Mei Changsu.”


	15. 丁丑: From Distant Parts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “If the second- and third-ranked of the Langya List are exchanging blows here, I imagine that half the pugilist world would have already squeezed in for a look, and the other half would have to strap on wings to get near. Such a pity that we have no time to spread the news and sell tickets to this event, and so there are only three spectators to appreciate the martial artistry of these two great men. It is only a shame that in the time needed to drink a cup of tea, the fight would have been interrupted and Aunt Luo will have to ask what happened...”

#  丁丑: From Distant Parts

“What do you think about the manor I picked? Three courtyards, well-ventilated, and bright,” Meng Zhi heaped effusive praise on his own recommendation.

Mei Changsu thought for a moment. “Are you really planning to sell me this place?” he asked Meng Zhi at last, drinking a cup of tea.

The two, plus Feiliu eating frozen pears by the side, were currently in an elegant little teahouse in the southern part of the city – near the main streets, but not too noisy, and each tea room was a tastefully decorated single bamboo building. Ever since the ‘corpses in the well’ case had been reported to the court, everyone in Jinling knew two things: first, that there were corpses in the well in Lan Manor, and that the newly famous Su Zhe was looking for a residence.

The number of offers pouring in with possible manors for sale were too many to count. Yet, as he was still staying at the Manor of the Marquess of Ning, most of the inconvenience was shouldered by Xie Bi, and Mei Changsu had only so far visited the houses recommended by the Mu family and Xia Dong, and so this was only his third such outing – not counting the time when Nihuang dragged him to the ruined Lin Manor.

“What do you think about the residence I chose?” Meng Zhi asked, leaning closer. “It does look like I’m rushing to build relations with a new celebrity, but you have really given me a lot of face, coming out personally with me for a tour.”

“What kind of prestige does Commander Meng carry, that I would dare not to give you face?” Mei Changsu smiled back. “Not to mention, the bit of fame I have acquired in the capital, isn’t it all due to that fight between you and Feiliu in the first place? An unexpected gain, though by accident.”

“This child Feiliu is truly a wonder,” Meng Zhi admired. “I hear he even defeated Xia Dong recently?”

“Ng,” Mei Changsu made a noise of agreement, as if he didn’t care much. “Xia Dong was distracted, and came merely to look at me. Feiliu is a... calm child, and so naturally picks up martial skills quickly and easily. He is still young, and his inner strength is not yet pure enough, and so when he comes up against such experts such as yourself, it would be difficult for him not to lose.”

Meng Zhi picked up his tea cup, and continued, “You haven’t answered my question yet. Even though I don’t know much about estates and aesthetics, I know you, which is why I spent so much effort finding you this place.”

Mei Changsu looked at him kindly. “I can tell that it was picked by you. Meng- _dàgē_ , you are really the one who understands what I want.”

The Commander scratched his forehead. “I do know the scenery isn’t the best...”

“I thanked you multiple times, what more do you want?” Mei Changsu sighed into his tea. “The scenery will have to be redone, otherwise people will wonder why I managed to pick this manor out of the rest I was to choose from.”

“Mmm...” Meng Zhi frowned. “Mmm? _Oi_! I know the _fengshui_ needs work... and other things...”

“Yet,” Mei Changsu continued, “its one advantage had overridden its disadvantages. Meng- _dàgē_ , you really know what I want.”

“Eh, I found it by accident,” Meng Zhi was embarrassed as he admitted: “I was only wandering around when I discovered it myself. The back wall of this courtyard is so close to the back wall of Grand Duke Jing’s residence. In between is a drainage ditch without streets, surrounded by thick forest. In addition, the main doors of these two open onto different streets, so the two residences seem to be in different areas of the city entirely. If you didn’t jump into the sky, you won’t even notice their proximity to each other.”

“How did Meng- _dàgē_ find out?”

“I jumped up and discovered it,” Meng Zhi smirked.

Mei Changsu gave a breath of laughter. “You have been troubled.”

“This is nothing, I do this often,” Meng Zhi sighed. “Luckily I was in the sky, otherwise the Grand Duke’s residence would have come investigating.”

“...they can do that?”

Meng Zhi frowned at Mei Changsu. “Wasn’t that pair of stone lions around that time when you first went to his manor? His Highness didn’t move them.”

“Stone lions... I didn’t think of it,” Mei Changsu shrugged.

“Oh, you weren’t a _Fangshi_ , you didn’t need to know,” Meng Zhi nodded. “Stone lions are technically stone, but animated with protective magics to guard the location where they are placed. As long as they are there, no threat or intruder can get into the compound at all.”

“Then how am I supposed to get in?” Mei Changsu gestured to himself. “Last time... last time they didn’t get me.”

“...” Meng Zhi frowned. “Your face might change, but did your scent?”

“...” Mei Changsu sighed. “I need to figure out how to fool the statues.”

“Eh, don’t you have people who are skilled at construction?” Meng Zhi wondered. “Once you move in, you can build a secret passage between the back courtyards of your and Prince Jing’s manors, and then even if you do not meet in public, he can come through the hidden passage at night secretly for your secret rendezvous...”

“...can you use a better term? It still doesn’t avoid the problem of meeting one of those statues if they recognise me!”

“Fine, fine,” Meng Zhi placated, “let’s talk about something other than this Magpie Bridge1 planned between the two houses.”

“What Magpie Bridge?” Mei Changsu looked helplessly at the first-ranked martial arts expert of Great Liang. “Oh. Speaking of birds...”

Meng Zhi blankly stared back over the table as Mei Changsu concluded his update of information. “The Jing residence’s Lie Zhanying is a demon?”

“Half-demon,” Mei Changsu clarified.

“That’s great!” Meng Zhi praised. “Demons are naturally born with strong powers, far more than humans. On this point, they are worth admiring. If their strength can be put to good use, how can this be anything other than good?”

“Right now he is using them against me!” Mei Changsu glumly took one of the frozen pears that Feiliu now pushed into his face, bit into it, and scowled. “So cold...”

Meng Zhi slowly blinked at Mei Changsu, looked down at his cup, and then back to his tea companion. “I may be the second name on the Langya List, but I bet if demons were allowed on the List all of us would be only somewhere in the middle.”

“Your Shaolin style has the Arhats’ protection, otherwise how would you protect the Emperor from demons?” Mei Changsu pointed out. “From a military perspective of course recruiting demons is good, but in Court? Our Emperor fears magic and the otherworld, he envies the magic they have, and that they exist outside of his control and will easily live longer than him. The fact that he singles out _Fangshi_ is because politically, all of them are the greatest potential threat as people naturally born with supernatural power. Likewise, in the case of possessions, his defence of the Crown Prince is already the Emperor’s bias against magic.”

“Oh...” Meng Zhi nodded. “I thought you were drinking vinegar...”2

“Excuse me?!”

“Nothing, nothing,” Meng Zhi hastily amended. “But... then why did you ask me to recommend Grand Duke Jing to His Majesty for the Duke of Qing’s case?”

“To the Emperor, Jingyan’s existence is paradoxical,” At this, Mei Changsu looked down. “He is a _Fangshi_ _–_ currently the only living _Fangshi_ in the royal family. That is anathema to the Emperor already. However, the Emperor cannot afford to lose Jingyan, because cases like Nihuang prove that _Fangshi_ are necessary and useful, as the only recourse that human armies have in fighting demons.”

“Erm... Xiao-” Meng Zhi caught himself. “...erm... then isn’t Grand Duke Jing stuck? With this kind of risky standing, he’s still going to offend so many people?!”

“No. It must be the Grand Duke.” Mei Changsu gave an unhappy hum. “Land infringement as a crime is unique. For one: The Emperor has to deal with this Duke of Qing case as an example and a warning to the Court officials because this custom of powerful officials taking over whatever land they like is getting out of hand, and is starting to affect national affairs. This is only one dimension of the case.”

Meng Zhi stared at him. “What’s the other view on the case?”

“What happens if this land infringement crosses a dragon’s vein3?” Mei Changsu reasoned.

Meng Zhi’s mouth dropped open. Dragons’ veins, terrains that resemble the lords of the rivers and lakes and seas, maintained the very fortunes of the kingdom itself. Damaging the ‘roots’ of these terrain was considered to be great sedition and one of the Ten Abominations – damaging of royal property equated with casting a curse on the sovereign, breaking laws and destroying order and contrary to virtue.

“T- This is a capital crime in that case...!”

“Such locations are a national secret kept by the Department of Secret Books for a reason,” Mei Changsu agreed. “In a case like this, after the Xuanjing Bureau’s investigation, it can only be handled by the combination of the heads of the Central Secretariat, the Censorate, and the High Bureau of Justice. No court official would be able to hold his own against those three heads – it must be someone of royal birth. The foremost two princes in the Court are also not an option. Grand Duke Jing has few political connections holding him back, and has always been upright and outspoken – only if he handled the case would it be able to achieve the purpose the Emperor intends.”

“But...” Meng Zhi floundered. “He’s still going to offend a lot of people, even if the point about great sedition and land infringement is made...”

“If he wants to enter into the fray, how can he avoid offending people? The question is whether it is worth it,” Mei Changsu’s musing turned cold. “This case is perfect: first, he will increase the love of the common people for him; second, it will raise his power and prestige; and third, it will showcase his ability and competence. If he offends some people, he will naturally gain the support of others. If he keeps standing off to the side, no one will remember he exists. This time, the Emperor has no better option.”

“Ah, I see... he’s also pitiful.” Meng Zhi thought a bit more. “Right, did Xia Dong ask you about the Mountain of Flowers and Fruits?”

“Ah?” Mei Changsu frowned. “No...”

“Ah. She’s been asking about on this place, you see... do you think it’s for another case?”

“Perhaps...” the nagging feeling persisted, even as Mei Changsu glanced to Feiliu, who was now at the window, scowling towards a crow standing on the window’s bamboo frame.

The crow took flight as Feiliu began to shout, running after it.

Although there were many things he had left unspoken, Mei Changsu was still exhausted by his conversation with Meng Zhi. He leant weakly over his table. When Feiliu returned from an unsuccessful crow-hunt, he was about to rush over for a closer look when Meng Zhi reached out a hand to stop him, immediately raising the ire of the youth.

The cold-faced youth immediately cried out, his palm came flying over and Meng Zhi had no choice but to block. The pair exchanged several blows as quick as lightning, and the slumbering Mei Changsu was nonetheless jolted awake.

“Su- _gege_!” Feiliu instantly forgot about Meng Zhi and vaulted over the table over to him, giving the commander of the imperial army a good scare.

Mei Changsu smiled at the youth, reaching out a hand to accept the pear proffered to him. “Meng- _dàgē_ , what’s wrong?”

Meng Zhi looked closely at Feiliu. “Although I wasn’t using my full strength, the fact that he can disappear from the middle of a fight with such smooth grace is something really stunning.”

“Stunned, are you?” Mei Changsu teased. “Better watch out, or your rank as the first-ranked martial expert in Great Liang will be taken by our Feiliu.”

“It’s a bit early for that,” Meng Zhi laughed. “I don’t dare underestimate this child, but neither will I fear him. It is also a great help to me to know that such a calibre of martial arts still exists in the world. However... his fighting style looks sinister and dark, how can he have such a sunny internal disposition?”

Mei Changsu played with the pear in his hand. “According to Langya Hall’s Young Master Lin Chen, one of Feiliu’s parents was a  _tiangou_ in the Wa archipelago, who was a mountain deity there. Whether because that island is teeming with potential, or because the essence of the Sun and the Moon is more easily gathered there, Feiliu inherited a physical disposition which is akin to having the Sun and the Moon high in the sky at the same time. The method he initially trained was also overly harmful to the body and would have pushed him into the otherworld as a fully-fledged demon or ended his human lifespan.”

Meng Zhi tutted. “Eh, so... how does Langya Hall know?”

“Through a series of coincidences and Feiliu himself, Feiliu ended up on the mainland and in the care of Old Master Lin,” Mei Changsu explained. “He has switched to practising this ‘splendid-sun’ style of martial arts, which can help to dissolve the insidious poison of the energy he learned before, and the Old Master sent him to me so that Feiliu would have an excuse to exercise this martial art and hone his skills in body-guarding.”

Meng Zhi did not think for a moment of inquiring any further, only pondering over what he had seen.

“Eat!” Feiliu showed not the slightest interest, and seeing that his Su- _gege_ had only taken a bite of his pear, Feiliu urged him.

Mei Changsu gave him a warm smile and took another bite.

“Hey, I’m a guest,” Meng Zhi teased, “won’t you give me one too?”

Fei Liu hesitated, and then grumpily took out another pear from his sleeve and threw it over. Meng Zhi sank his teeth into the pear and froze, scowling. “Why is it so sour?”

“That’s why he gave it to you,” Mei Changsu mocked.

“Eh??”

“Feiliu,” Mei Changsu drawled, “do you like this uncle?”

“No!”

“Why not?”

“Can’t beat him.”

“Oi!” Meng Zhi exclaimed. “I introduced a house to you, and you’re being sarcastic to me?!”

* * *

When they departed the Bamboo Tea House, Meng Zhi and Mei Changsu both left the way they had come – one in a palanquin of green cloth, and one riding a feisty tan horse, followed by a few imperial guards and two servants of the Xie residence. Their combined entourage chose to return by a quieter side street.

When they left the small alley and reached a crossroads, one of the mounted Imperial Guards rode over to convey an Imperial summons to Meng Zhi. Meng Zhi hesitated a moment, but was still persuaded to move, so he bade Mei Changsu farewell and rode away towards the Palace.

He had ridden a good distance when Meng Zhi suddenly remembered that the uniform he kept in the duty room had lost the jade pendant on its belt. Although it was not very obvious, this was an imperial summons before the throne. He had slowed his horse, preparing to order the guard to bring him a new belt from his residence, but the messenger was nowhere in sight.

Meng Zhi took in everyone riding beside him at a glance. They were all indeed his own people, but the messenger had bowed low to the ground when delivering his message and only spoken a few words, and now that he thought about it, a great suspicion rose in his heart.

“I’ve been tricked!”

Meng Zhi turned his horse and raced back, whipping and urging his horse faster as he shouted with his inner strength for those in his path to move aside. When he arrived at the crossroads, it had long since become deserted. Meng Zhi was just standing there at a loss when muffled shouts drifted from a distance, picked up by his keen hearing. After pinpointing their location and distance, Meng Zhi sprang off his saddle onto the flat roofs of the nearby buildings, and with a few nimble steps, his figure flew through the air and he had arrived at the chaotic scene in a few moments in a burst of fear and fury.

Mei Changsu’s palanquin lay on its side on the road, the roof of the palanquin shattered into powder, and the porters and attendants lay around it – even the few guards he had personally left behind were no exception. In the centre of the street, Feiliu was exchanging furious blows with someone dressed in yellow, their fighting strokes so ferocious that the guards standing around had no chance to join the fight.

Meng Zhi had no time to look any closer and quickly scanned the road all around him, but found no trace of Mei Changsu, and in a frenzy of worry, he leapt down with a shout, preparing to join Feiliu in bring down the enemy. Although this move made the enemy retreat away, Fei Liu immediately turned and raised his wrist to block Meng Zhi.

“It’s me!” Meng Zhi quickly flipped over to the other side to block the yellow-robed person’s escape route.

Feiliu turned again and sent another wave of attacks against the person in yellow. The yellow-robed person couldn’t help letting out a sound of surprise.

“Meng- _dàgē_...” Meng Zhi was about to enter the fight again when he heard a faint call off to one side.

When he turned to look, it was Mei Changsu, standing under the eaves of a building on the adjoining street, beckoning him over. When he looked a little closer, he realised it was a spot which had been obscured by another building from the view of the rooftop he had been standing on before – he had not immediately noticed Mei Changsu there.

Meng Zhi bounded over and grabbed Mei Changsu’s wrist for a quick inspection, then looked him up and down, and seeing that, though his face was pale as white jade, there were no new injuries, he finally let out a sigh of relief.

“Fei Liu is in no danger at the moment, don’t get involved for now,” Mei Changsu kept his gaze locked on the two figures flying around the street.

“I’m glad _you’re_ alright. With Feiliu’s skills, he’ll definitely be alright...” Meng Zhi broke off abruptly. Feiliu could easily be counted among the top ten experts in the world, though where exactly on the list he should be placed it was hard to say. So who could have thought that this person in yellow could actually hold his own against the full strength of Feiliu’s attacks?

Mei Changsu’s brow furrowed as he made up his mind, and he exchanged a glance with Meng Zhi to confirm their similar conclusions before stepping forward. “General Tuoba, you have come from afar to be our guest, it’s alright to exchange a few moves, but now that Commander Meng Zhi is here, why not stop and let us find a place to talk?”

Having been found out, the one in yellow could only step back and retreat from the fight. Feiliu, hearing Mei Changsu’s voice, also did not continue attacking, but stood still to glare at this opponent with a fierce, cold gaze.

Meng Zhi purposefully walked out in front to cup his hand in greeting. “General Tuoba, the emissaries of your nation have left our capital many days ago, how is it that the general has chosen this time to grace us with your presence?”

Tuoba Hao stood there silently, his face hidden, but he raised his fist to his chest and bowed after a moment. “The ambassadors of our country returned in defeat from your nation, and Baili Qi, the brave warrior hand-picked by our Fourth Prince, received a hard lesson at the hands of this Sir Su, and is still missing to this day. I would have no face indeed if I did not come myself to find him.”

“Could it be that the general has come this time to teach me a lesson on behalf of Warrior Baili?” Mei Changsu mused aloud. “At the time, I tried a hundred ways to decline, but I could not defy an imperial order, and the officials of your honourable nation spoke up and aroused the situation, and so I could only reluctantly oblige with a few little tricks. I must humbly beg the general’s great forgiveness.”

“I tested Baili Qi’s martial arts before he left,” Tuoba Hao scoffed. “Before I came, I also said that you had no real martial art, but had merely resorted to tricks, but after today’s fight...” he glanced over at Feiliu. “To have such an expert by your side as a bodyguard, you must have some outstanding talent.”

“Feiliu is still young, how could he be a worthy opponent for General Tuoba? And if I had any outstanding talent, I would not have shamefully retreated in escape as the roof of my palanquin was shattered...”

Meng Zhi’s face darkened. “General Tuoba came to our Great Liang without invitation and carelessly attacked our guest, what explanation do you have for this?”

“About this,” another voice spoke up, “we would like to know too.”

* * *

Tuoba Hao choked for a moment, not knowing how to reply and being shocked by the third presence which had appeared. He had relied on his martial artistry to enter secretly into Jinling for a look at this Su Zhe, and originally had only wanted to get a measure of the man before leaving quietly. The appearance of Feiliu and Meng Zhi had left him unable to leave, his identity revealed as well, and so he had come to this embarrassing situation which was difficult to explain when a third presence had appeared.

Tuoba Hao turned around to see a man in grey, nondescript in the extreme and smiling at all three.

“Huiying greets General Tuoba, Commander Meng, and Sir Su,” the man in grey sighed. “His Highness Prince Yu is worried to the extreme about Sir Su, and thus bade me to pay attention. Sir Su was unfortunately attacked at my doorstep, and thus Huiying had to appear to greet Sir Su.”

“Your doorstep?” Mei Changsu looked around, nonplussed. “This is... You live in Spiral Market Street?”

Hearing this, everyone took a step back.

Huiying’s smile deepened. “If the second- and third-ranked of the Langya List are exchanging blows here, I imagine that half the pugilist world would have already squeezed in for a look, and the other half would have to strap on wings to get near. Such a pity that we have no time to spread the news and sell tickets to this event, and so there are only three spectators to appreciate the martial artistry of these two great men. It is only a shame that in the time needed to drink a cup of tea, the fight would have been interrupted and Aunt Luo will have to ask what happened...”

Were the situation limited only to Su Zhe and Meng Zhi, Tuoba Hao could have challenged the Grand Commander of the Imperial Guards and thus saved himself an explanation.

As things stood, however, at any moment those who enforced the rules of Spiral Market Street have already turned up, and claimed to be under the Fifth Prince of Great Liang at that. Furthermore, by some cruel trick of municipal geography, the fight had taken place on the doorstep of Spiral Market Street’s Aunt Luo, which could start a series of unfortunate events akin to riling up a valley filled with flesh-eating hornets.

“With regards to Baili Qi, does General Tuoba not know?” Huiying’s eyes slid to the sky, and then down. “He has returned home to report his failure to his father the Single-Horned Demon King. I imagine that in a few days, the Great King will send his sons back with remonstrations and apology gifts to the Northern Yan court.”

Tuoba Hao was not unintelligent, and immediately understood. He had come to find Su Zhe for the sake of Northern Yan’s reputation, and not actually because he wanted to get to the bottom of Baili Qi’s disappearance, but there were deep consequences were Baili Qi to disappear and Northern Yan was left floundering for an excuse with his father. So he took his cue and replied, “In that case, I have no reason not to believe you all. Please do not worry, I will immediately leave Jinling, and will be back in my country within ten days, without any stops midway.”

“Great Liang has admirable scenery,” Huiying supplied. “If General wishes, Aunt Bang in the Yan capital can arrange to send General to whichever fairyland on earth he wishes to see... though, there is no guarantee as to the return trip.”

“Good!” Meng Zhi overrode the implied threat. “I believe General Tuoba is a man of his word. As such, we will part here, and meet again in the future!”

Tuoba Hao did not waste any more words, only cupped his fist in farewell, and then disappeared from view and a wide, inhuman smile.

* * *

**1 The Magpie Bridge refers to the story of the Cowherd and the Weaver, who were lovers separated by the Milky Way River in Heaven as punishment. Once a year on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, magpies would assemble into a bridge to allow the two to meet each other.**

**2 ZH:  吃醋 (chi cu) – to be jealous, literally ‘eat/drink vinegar’.**

**3 This is a fengshui concept, where ‘dragon’s vein’ refers to terrain that looks like a dragon. These such places are believed to be lucky and maintain the fortunes of the empire. Obviously, damaging such places are also a capital crime.**


	16. 戊寅: Third Watch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “It’s snowing,” Mei Changsu breathed.
> 
> “Most suitable for murder,” was Li Gang’s stoic assessment. “The snow will cover all tracks and leave no scent of blood, and the rest of the house is sleeping. The gods do not know, and the ghosts do not feel... Heaven itself might be fooled this night.”

#  戊寅: Third Watch

Only when the aura of the Northern Yan master had truly gone did Mei Changsu round on Huiying. “Do you really live on Spiral Market Street?”

“Of course,” Huiying evenly answered. “Prince Yu’s order was also not false. Except, this time Aunt Luo told me to chase General Tuoba away. This client is very worth it. Ah, speaking of worthy clients,” the man in grey shifted his sleeves openly, “we have chased away the other assassins that came aside from the general. Please consider this a complimentary service from our hall.”

“...I see,” Mei Changsu gave an ironic cough. “Then please give my regards to Aunt Luo.”

Huiying bowed. In a brief moment, his entire shape collapsed into himself, and a grey hawk flew up and away into the darkening skies over Jinling.

“...Prince Yu also employs demons?” Meng Zhi stared into the sky where Huiying had disappeared, having just risen from checking the fallen people on the ground to find them only unconscious with minor wounds. “Why did this Huiying let that Tuoba away, then?”

“I suppose Aunt Bang in Northern Yan wants to extract some more value from the General,” Mei Changsu mused. “Either way, our purposes this time coincide in letting Tuoba Hao leave alive back to Northern Yan. Were this situation to continue, I am afraid that Jinling’s Aunt Luo would really step in, and that would not be good for either of us. Aunt Luo is said to favour human testicles as a snack with wine...”

Meng Zhi turned slightly green at the thought, and his legs clenched. “Then... the Spiral Market Street... what about me? I still have to distract a demon!”

“You’re going to face a different demon, not Aunt Luo,” Mei Changsu comforted him. “Furthermore, at that time you can claim to be acting in the course of your duties.” He frowned. “Speaking of duties... Weren’t you summoned into the palace? Why did you think to come back?”

“Oh, that messenger was an impostor,” Meng Zhi elaborated. “I found out on the road, and realized it was a plot to lure the tiger away from the mountain, and so hurried back...”

“An impostor?” Mei Changsu echoed.

“Yes...” Meng Zhi nodded. “If I had not suddenly thought to ask him to do something for me, I would not have realized the trick until I arrived at the palace gates.”

“Two sets of assassins...” Mei Changsu seemed to be in deep thought. A moment later, he turned back. “Meng- _dàgē_ , you must enter the Palace immediately and report your meeting with Tuoba Hao to the Emperor.”

“Oh? Why?” this caused the Grand Commander to blink. “Haven’t we already let him go?”

“It is precisely because we have let him go that you must report it, and also plead for forgiveness.” Mei Changsu’s eyes were fathomless as he continued to detail: “Because there will soon be someone arriving before the Emperor to accuse you of smuggling one of the high ministers of another nation in and out of the capital.”

“How?” Meng Zhi gaped at him. “And how would you know?”

“Huiying told me that there were two sets of assassins,” Men Changsu detailed. “Furthermore, an outsider like Tuoba Hao cannot hope to get people to masquerade as an imperial messenger to lure you away.”

Meng Zhi thought about it carefully, and gradually understood. It was already no simple task for Tuoba Hao to have found out that Su Zhe would be going out today and to hide in wait for him on the road he would take on his return journey. If Tuoba Hao truly had such intimate knowledge about Jinling, then he would not have chosen to stage the fight so close to Jinling’s central district of demons. The pugilist world which involved demons had created strict rules purely to reduce the bloodbaths which periodically erupted between themselves, how would they let off an outsider?

Mei Changsu continued: “What I have concluded is this: someone else was waiting to attack while I was out, but was afraid of the consequences if you stayed by my side, and so came up with a plan to lure you away. They did not expect Tuoba Hao to turn up so suddenly, and before they had a chance to react, you hurried back, and Huiying intervened with the influence of Spiral Market Street. In the end, these people have not dared to show their faces. Even if they have not drawn near, Tuoba Hao’s swordsmanship is too frightening, and we cannot take the risk that they have not noticed what happened. So you must hurry and report these things to His Majesty.”

Meng Zhi rubbed the stubble of beard on his chin and nodded. “His Majesty has no ill intent against Northern Yan at the moment, and if Tuoba Hao had been publicly arrested, it would have been difficult. Forcing him to leave Jinling quickly actually causes the least amount of trouble, so His Majesty should not punish me for acting of my own accord.”

“Only if you return immediately and report everything to him,” Mei Changsu quickly detailed. “If it looks like you released him in secret, then the Emperor would be suspicious.”

“But the people here-”

“It’s about time for them to wake, Feiliu and I will wait here and then return ourselves.” Mei Changsu frowned. “Plus, Prince Yu’s man, Huiying, chased them away. Nothing will happen to me. Oh, and...”

Meng Zhi stared blankly for a moment, then laughed. “What would be so urgent? You can tell me later, yes?”

Meng Zhi did not delay any longer, but said, “see you later,” and flew away with his foot-skill to the rooftops of Jinling.

A squall of crows rose in his wake, squawking...

“This shield, Huiying... I suppose this is also an assassin prepared to kill me the moment I try to run,” Mei Changsu mused. “Luckily I am preparing to deal with it.”

* * *

That day, Xiao Jingrui had gone out with his mother, Grand Princess Liyang, and it was late by the time he returned. When he heard from Xie Bi what had happened to Mei Changsu, he still immediately hurried over to Snow Cottage. Upon his arrival, he discovered that it was all dark – it seemed as if everyone inside had gone to sleep.

Before, he might not have cared and might have barged in and woken them anyway. For some reason, though, the closeness of their friendship seemed to be dissipating, and etiquette and courtesy seemed even more important now. As he stood there gazing into the darkness of the courtyard and the shadows of the trees all around, it was as if this friend who had gained so much of his admiration and respect was truly drifting further and further from him.

Giving a long sigh, Xiao Jingrui turned and followed the stone-paved path towards his own rooms. In the cold, still night, there was a heavy dampness in the air; perhaps it would snow later in the night....

The first time they had met was in the snow on the Cliffs of Qin, where they had pledged friendship over wine and laughter. Now things had come to this, his footsteps grew slower and slower.

Just after he passed the rock garden, there was a sudden coldness on his face, and when he reached up, his fingers brushed against wetness. He lifted his head and gazed intently into the dark sky, but his skin and nose had detected what his eyes could not – it had begun to snow lightly.

Tomorrow would dawn on a world of crystal and glass. If he had not been so burdened by woes, he could have met up with two or three friends, admired the snow by a warm brazier with the company of good wine, the joy of the day complemented by the beauty of the scenery.

It was a pity….

As Xiao Jingrui was about to take another step, he thought he saw a dim shadow flit by out of the corner of his eye – when he turned his head to look, there was nothing there. Whether it was from a sense of foreboding or simple vigilance, Xiao Jingrui held still, standing quietly behind the rock garden, watching the Snow Cottage from between the peaks of two rocks.

A moment later, another dark shadow flew by – this one he saw clearly. The shadow had come from the eastern wall of Snow Cottage, and after leaping up the walls of the courtyard, it was now lying motionless on the roof of the cottage. A second shadow had appeared from the same place and disappeared onto the roof later. This pattern repeated itself until there were about ten people on the roof of Snow Cottage.

Xiao Jingrui was just wondering why Fei Liu was being so quiet when a window on the west side of Snow Cottage trembled,. Almost at the same moment, there was a muffled groan from the roof, and then a figure was tumbling down into the courtyard. Xiao Jingrui glanced back up and spotted a slender shadow, fighting like a demon with whirling claws and minimal noise, had joined the others on the roof – the rest of the dark figures forced back onto the east side of the roof defending themselves.

Xiao Jingrui was just smiling in admiration when his smile froze on his face. Another group of invaders had appeared in his field of vision, coming from the southern wall, and had neatly avoided Feiliu.

Without stopping to think, Xiao Jingrui was already flying through the air, shouting: “Who dares to charge into the Xie Manor?”

Because he had no weapons on him, Xiao Jingrui chose one of the fighters closest to him and struck down with the meat of his palm with his yell. His opponents seemed caught off-guard, but regained their composure, and one of them made a gesture and two of the others came forward to engage Xiao Jingrui, as the rest charged towards the main building.

Although this leader of the assassins had made a quick and firm decision, he committed two mistakes:

First, he underestimated Xiao Jingrui’s martial arts. The two black-clothed figures lost their swords by the third move, and by the fourth, they had both toppled to the ground, only having managed to slightly slow down Xiao Jingrui.

Second, he underestimated Feiliu’s ferocity. No one could have known that on this dark night, the boy was a monster unleashed – its speed and efficiency in slaughtering those around him frightening to behold as Feiliu gave a snarl, his cold features twisted into something resembling the foremost of those monsters in legend who swallowed the sun and the moon.

At the same time, Xiao Jingrui and Feiliu had underestimated the abilities of the leader of the assassins.

After realizing his disadvantage, the leader immediately ordered the rest of his men to engage Feiliu, as he himself turned to face Xiao Jingrui’s rapidly descending sword. No matter how the leader of the assassins dodged and ducked, blocking with the steel in his own hand. Jingrui’s palm struck squarely onto the other’s chest, and his opponent flew through the air. It was only then that Xiao Jingrui realised – the leader of the assassins had already used the power of his strike to fly, breaking open the door and charging into the main building.

As far as Xiao Jingrui knew, within this building, there only dwelt the thin, frail Mei Changsu.

“Brother Su!” With a piercing cry, Xiao Jingrui rushed up the steps and leapt over the shattered door into the dark, dim room within.

The stench of blood hit him full in the face, but even with his frighteningly accurate night vision, he could only see a figure in the centre of the room. Before he could react, a bright light flared. In the soft glow of the candle in his hand, Mei Changsu stood draped in a long fur coat, his complexion harsh in the candlelight.

“Master Xiao,” the man next to Mei Changsu greeted.

“Branch Leader Li?” Xiao Jingrui blinked, and then his gaze fell onto the body of the assassin leader not far from his feet.

“It would be best for you not to look,” Mei Changsu stopped him in a quiet voice. “It is so late, I did not believe that you would come.”

“I heard Brother Su met some mishap today out on the road, and was worried.” Xiao Jingrui’s fingers were already grasping the corner of the cloth, but a nameless hesitation rose in his heart, and he did not immediately pull it away. “What’s the difference between looking and not looking?”

The intruder was lying before him, his face covered by the dark cloth, and no matter whether he looked or not, it would remain the same face. Just like certain truths which, no matter whether he understood them or not, would exist forever, regardless of his actions.

Xiao Jingrui clenched his teeth and finally drew aside the thin cloth. After a single glance, his gaze faltered. His hand slowly clenched into a fist.

“Do you recognise him?” Li Gang asked at last.

“He... is a guard of my father.”

“Did he sell his face to Thousand Autumns Pavilion before?”

“I don’t know... but as a guard, why would he?” Xiao Jingrui floundered. “They are demons! These people... they are human...”

The more absolute the quiet, the more sounds which could be heard. In this grand, stately residence of the Marquess of Ning, the clashing of swords and the cries of the fighters had rang out into the quiet night sky, but there had been no other response. The smell of blood was dissipating into the snowing night.

“It’s snowing,” Mei Changsu breathed.

“Most suitable for murder,” was Li Gang’s stoic assessment. “The snow will cover all tracks and leave no scent of blood, and the rest of the house is sleeping. The gods do not know, and the ghosts do not feel... Heaven itself might be fooled this night.”

“Jingrui,” Mei Changsu’s steady voice rang out, as if he had not noticed the terrified expression of the young man before him. “The manor I went to see today was recommended by Commander Meng, and is near Changzhi Lane. The place is clean and solid, and has all the basic utilities for daily living. Although the scenery of the garden is somewhat lacking, it will be a good opportunity for me to redesign it entirely. It is time for me to move out...”

“Move out...” Xiao Jingrui echoed, still fixated on the corpse. “Yes, it is time to move out, this Snow Cottage is not fit to be lived in any longer...”


	17. 己卯: Avenger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Capital Magistrate Gao thus walked in on such a scene – sobbing women, guards embedded into the ceiling and walls of Willow House, He Wenxin frozen on the ground, and Miss Lí meticulously brushing charcoal powder over all the pieces of the shattered vase and handling them with a pair of bamboo tweezers meant for serving tea. “What’s going on?”

#  己卯: Avenger

After the veil of night had descended over Jinling, most streets could be described by ‘dark’ and ‘quiet’. There are always some places in the world where the situation is the opposite – the Northern Hamlet withstanding.

In the west of Jinling, there was a winding section of Spiral Market Street. Surrounded on both sides and either end by tall pavilions and buildings laden with festive lanterns, this street came alive with wine and song and dance once the day had passed into night. The meandering road wound through the city, mesmerising all its entrants with grace and charm to linger and forget about home.

The entertainment houses of Spiral Market Street each had their own style and attraction: the popular music of Miaoyin House, the latest dances from Willow House, the beautiful women of Crimson Sleeve House, the talented artisans of Orchid House, and so on. Each had their own advantage, and although they had their conflicts, they had nonetheless been established for some time and had their own unwritten rules of conduct. and serious cases were brought before Aunt Luo.

The one time that courtesan rivalries escalated, it was said, the one who had lime thrown in her face had required Thousand Autumns Pavilion, and the result was so charming that it had just caused the offender to retire in shame.

Like, in Orchid House, a fight was blowing up. There were two men, each with swords in one hand, and the other hands in a tug-of-war with a shivering courtesan of Orchid House. The stench of alcohol mixed around this  _ménage_ _à trois_.

“I came to find Miss Gui first, don’t you know the rules?!”

“What rules? They weren’t written on the signboard! I already paid for the top courtesan of Orchid House, we already arranged a time, how can you just cut in like this?! You’re monopolising the beauty!”

“You-! She doesn’t even like you! Your father has looks, talent and money, unlike certain boors who need to pay to get girls!”

“You’ve gone too far!”

“What’s going on, what’s going on?” Orchid House’s Madam Lan, after whom Orchid House had received its name, barged in amidst the crowd of beautiful dresses and gorgeous tableware. “It is a beautiful snowy day, we can easily arrange for Gui’er to admire the snow with Young Master Si... Young Master Pan, this is my fault, I will arrange for another girl to entertain you, on the house!”

“I only want Miss Gui!” the second man, surnamed Pan, roared back, his beefy hand raised as if about to physically maul the procuress.

Madam Lan screamed, cowering, if only to hear the first man yell and the second man join him. Her eyes opened, if only to see both men being lifted into the air by a waifish girl.

“Madam Lan, you should have called me,” the girl’s dulcet tones seemed to awaken the crowd – they scattered immediately.

“Oi! Put me down!” the other man, the one surnamed Si, yelled. “You... demon! Sinner! Evildoer! Demoness!”1

“Fine,” she drawled. “We’ll go to the highest point of the city, and then I’ll throw you down into the ground. What do you think?”

“Eh, eh, eh!” Young Master Pan cried out, brandishing his sword and causing another wave of agony. “Do you know who we are?”

“Imperial Sergeants Pan and Si, aristocrats also in the Ren and Gui platoons of the Imperial Guard,” she related in a bored tone. “The thing is, do you know who am _I_?”

She firmly set the pair down into a heavy couch at one end of Orchid House. The pair took a look at her, and the alcohol-induced gaze fled.

“Then,” she leant forward, her amber eyes ablaze as she beheld them trapped between a hard couch and a demon. “Rioting, starting a brawl, threatening Madam Lan...” she deliberately gave an exhale which not only condensed into mist, but also chilled the air and created frost on the arms of the couch in which she had trapped them. “ _An arm, or a leg, which one do the two of you wish to give up?!_ ”

“ _Aiyah_ , _aiyoh_ , Miss Lí!” Madam Lan fluttered, the length of her sleeves trailing behind her as she tugged at the skirts of Miss Lí’s dark robes. “They’re scared stiff, they know their mistakes, please let them off!”

“What is going on?” A roar caused Miss Lí to twitch as Meng Zhi trooped in with full armour strapped on.

“Grand Commander!” the two men slid down and scrambled on all fours across the hardwoods.

“Imperial Sergeants Pan and Si, for the misdemeanour of brawling in this place, to be demoted to ordinary men for six months and withheld their salaries!”

“Grand Commander...”

“Aiyah, for Great Liang’s foremost martial arts expert to enter our house..!” Madam Lan was torn. “This... Miss Gui-”

“Eh, Madam Lan, I am most afraid that I cannot entertain your business,” Meng Zhi gave a small smile, like a secret shared between brothel madame and client. “My lieutenant told me that Sergeant Pan has problems at home, and then Sergeant Si was coming here, so he told me, Grand Commander, these two strong and young men, if they make trouble here, the demons would definitely eat them...”

“Ah,” said Madam Lan, who was more than acquainted with fox spirits. She immediately turned around to Miss Lí. “Miss Lí, since the Grand Commander is here to punish them, then you can leave this matter to him, right? He is the Imperial Guard Commander, and we have to give him some face...”

The nostrils on her elegant face flared.

“Miss Lí!”

Her left hand, fingers curled like claws, stretched before the Grand Commander. It raked across his brow, his eyes, and the pad of her thumb used his beard as a resting spot to curl a thumbnail under his chin. “This face,” she slowly told the Grand Commander, “is not for any of us to decide.”

As quickly as she had moved, her hands withdrew back into ink-like sleeves. “That being said, I cannot scratch the Grand Commander. Since the Grand Commander Meng is so polite, then I must trouble the Grand Commander to replace the broken crockery. Madam Lan will send the bill to the Meng residence.”

“Ah,” Meng Zhi fumbled. “It’s fine, I can pay-”

“We must tally up the costs, no?” Miss Lí’s eyelashes fluttered, her eyes changing from dark to amber and then to silver in the same gesture. “Orchid House cannot afford to be accused of cheating the Grand Commander-”

Another shadow passed, and Miss Lí’s hand seized around the paper bird which unfolded itself before the Commander could do more than reach towards her. She looked at the paper and then scowled. “Madam Lan. Lí must depart. Farewell, Commander Meng.”

One step, Meng Zhi blinked as she disappeared. “ _Aiyah_ , she’s gone... did we get enough time? The two of you, why did you have to pretend to be Imperial Guards!”

“We’re so sorry!” Both men immediately prostrated themselves. “We brothers of the Green Helms needed to provide Grand Commander Meng an excuse to take over, and Miss Lí has been known not to let off even the Capital Guards... even the guards of noble families must deal with her lightly...”

“Don’t talk about this now!” Madam Lan fluttered about. “Help clean up! Grand Commander Meng-”

“Ah, the crockery,” Meng Zhi fumbled for his money-pouch, but the procuress shook her head.

“The Walkers Sect are importing another batch of celadon,” she shrugged. “They offered me first crack at them.”

“Is that so? And all I had to sacrifice was her touching my face...” Meng Zhi stroked his beard, and then frowned down at the cut hairs in his hand. “...how dangerous. I pity the other side...”

* * *

“Help, help, call the authorities, hurry and call the authorities...”

“Wait, d- don’t report it... let’s talk, let’s first talk about this...”

He Wenxin seemed to wake up from his post-murder daze, and he hurried forward and grabbed Mother Zhu, saying, “I won’t let you report it, I’ll pay!”

Mother Zhu cried loudly. “Too late, too late... Young Master Qiu is also of noble birth, how could the Earl of Wen let this slide? My Willow House is ruined...”

“Young Master, hurry, let’s leave, let’s go home and have the old master think of a plan, hurry!” The guard who had spoken up before pulled He Wenxin out the door, but they were blocked by the people of Willow House, and more chaos started.

In direct contrast to the frenzied mess was Gong Yu, who had started patting the backs of the frozen witnesses Xinliu and Xinyang gently. “Don’t be afraid, it’s alright... nothing will happen to you...” As the chaos outside the room continued, Gong Yu lightly stroked the long hair of the person in her arms, and as her gaze swept across the bloody corpse by the door, a cold smile slid across her lips before her face became expressionless once more.

Two guards of the He family were slammed face-first into the door. Ten more were kicked, battered, or simply thrown about. He Wenxin cried out as a pair of clawed hands grabbed him and threw him bodily down. A chant was spoken, and his body froze.

The stern-faced woman who had just performed a number of supernatural feats turned onto Mother Zhu of Willow House. The coil of hair which sat atop her head bobbed like a snail about its way. Silence and severity cloaked her as she spoke: “Some trouble has befallen your house, Mother Zhu.”

“Aunt Luo...” Mother Zhu wept. “Young Master Qiu... Young Master He beat him to death...”

“ _MMMPPPHHH_!”

A talisman dropped from Aunt Luo’s sleeve. It burned, the ashes folding themselves into a paper bird which took to the skies.

“Men, come.” She ordered. “Seal off this entire building. No one may leave without my permission. Mother Zhu, report this to the Capital Magistrate Office. You,” she stabbed a finger towards one servant of Willow House, who leapt to his feet. “Run to the Yan Manor, and tell the Imperial Uncle what has happened. We are in need of the _Meilin_.” 2

“Yes, Aunt Luo!” The man immediately ran out at the same time that the windows burst open. A pair of silk-clad feet popped in, followed by the rest of Miss Lí.

“Aunt Luo,” Miss Lí frowned. “This...”

“Lí, help me determine cause of death,” Aunt Luo ordered. “The rest of you, gather all the witnesses. When Marquis Yan gets here, we will have everything needed to process the case of He Wenxin killing Qiu Zhengping in the Willow House. Miss Gong Yu, Miss Xinliu, Miss Xinyang,” she addressed the crying women and the calm older-sister comforting them, “you are the primary witnesses in this case?”

“Sisters Xinliu and Xinyang are,” Gong Yu replied, lowering her gaze.

“Young Master He killed Young Master Qiu!” one of the twin stars of Willow House sobbed.

Miss Lí hummed as she continued to examine the corpse. “Recent death, just within the past hour. Considering the cold, how warm Willow House keeps this room... he died within the past joss-stick. From his head... first blush, something was used to knock him out.”

“Good,” Aunt Luo ordered. “Then, take his fingerprints. We cannot afford to lose face.”

“What’s going on?”

“Madame will be coming soon.”

He Wenxin continued to struggle and articulate noise on the ground as Miss Lí covered her fingers in her sleeves and started to sweep the pieces of the vase into one pile. When she was done, she pulled out from her sleeve a bottle of ink, a brush, and paper. The Young Master’s hands were frozen, allowing Miss Lí to brush his fingers into ink and then press them into the paper, creating markings which matched He Wenxin’s fingerprints.

“The fingerprints of He Wenxin, taken...” Miss Lí wrote down the date, put the goods back into her sleeve, and then drew out some more bottles and containers.

Capital Magistrate Gao thus walked in on such a scene – sobbing women, guards embedded into the ceiling and walls of Willow House, He Wenxin frozen on the ground, and Miss Lí meticulously brushing charcoal powder over all the pieces of the shattered vase and handling them with a pair of bamboo tweezers meant for serving tea. “What’s going on?”

“Processing the scene.” Miss Lí continued to dust. “We cannot afford to make mistakes now!”

* * *

Xiao Jinghuan sighed once he heard the details of the case the next morning. “This... caught at the scene by Aunt Luo? Capital Magistrate Gao and the Marquis Yan? _How_ does a demoness manage to call in the Imperial Uncle?”

Qin Banruo knelt before him, her beautiful feature now a picture of worry. “As Great Liang’s foremost Taoist in Court, Marquis Yan must be more than familiar with demons. Spiral Market Street is one of the two major centres of demonic presence in Jinling – of course they have to call him in. In this kind of case, Aunt Luo have to think about all other demons in Jinling as well.”

“So, since the Capital Magistrate already passed the verdict of ‘not a demon’, then Aunt Luo does not need to care,” Prince Yu nodded. “Because they’re aiming towards the verdict of ‘not that criminal’, then the witnesses and evidence...?”

“They were all present, and Aunt Luo locked down the building once it happened,” Banruo notified him. “All of it was taken in by Magistrate Gao as well. None of my sisters could approach it. Even Miss Lí’s method of getting fingerprints placed He Wenxin’s hands on the vase which was used to kill Qiu Zhengping.”

“Pulling out this kind of method is just used to go against me, isn’t it?!” Prince Yu exclaimed. “What can He Wenxin’s fingers prove?”

“Normal demons can assume human shape, but the minor details – fingerprints, palm prints, hair tips – require an expert to shape,” Qin Banruo detailed, spreading her own palm to show her hands, as smooth and fair as jade – and indeed, free of palm prints, wrinkles, and the whorls of fingerprints.

“They must prove that outwardly, no magic was involved in the case.” She muttered a chant, causing a lamp on Prince Yu’s table to lift up and then slam down without outside help, to the prince’s consternation. “If a demon had done this, there would be no fingerprints.”

“As demons, they must protect themselves, but surely not to this degree?!” Prince Yu complained, but with less fire and more curiosity.

“Witch hunts have been started on the most flimsy reasons,” Qin Banruo mused. “I suppose... the two of them are trying to cover for themselves.”

“Cover?” Prince Yu sat up. “You mean... behind them there is a far more powerful demon?”

“Madame Jiang...” Qin Banruo’s eyes flashed. “It seems like the servants are trying to cover up their mistake before the master arrives.”

“Madame Jiang? That very powerful demoness we talked about in the case with Lou Zijing?” Prince Yu considered. “She... isn’t she hunting down those who owed her money?”

“It makes little difference.”

“Banruo! You said that she was in Jiangnan!” Xiao Jinghuan rebutted.

“It makes no difference,” Qin Banruo repeated. “Immortals and demons like Madame Jiang can cross vast distances in a single step. I suppose her giving them notice was to prepare her residence in advance.”

“...” Prince Yu groaned. “I’m already about to lose the Duke of Qing, and now the He Wenxin case is costing me He Jingzhong. Banruo, go investigate a bit more. Send some goodwill gifts to Madame Jiang once she arrives – if she arrives.”

“Replying to Your Highness, I believe it better if I approach her in my capacity as owner of Red Sleeve House first.”

“What?” Prince Yu considered it. “I see... it is not appropriate for royalty to approach demons so openly unless there was an exchange to be made. The two of you, though, are demons – the same species and similar interests. Good idea, Banruo, do that.”

Prince Yu hummed, already mulling over the arrangements to visit Sir Su once more. “This time... we really will need a miracle.”

* * *

**1 The full scope of Chinese curses cannot exactly be translated exactly, but the words are, in no particular order,  恶魔, 妖媚, 妖女, 妖孽**

**2 ZH:  梅林 (mei lin) – ‘plum forest’, also a phonetic reading for Merlin.**


	18. 庚辰: Charm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mei Changsu leant closer to the Grand Duke. “How is his martial arts?”
> 
> “Purely martial arts... Zhanying will lose, even to a lot of my men.” Xiao Jingyan stood steadily with his hands behind his back, his expression indifferent. “His footwork is exceptional, and his light-skill is far better.”
> 
> “...well then,” Mei Changsu turned back. “Luckily this is not a battle of pure martial arts.”

#  庚辰: Charm

“Your Highness Prince Yu,” Mei Changsu sighed once the problem of He Wenxin was, as expected, dragged to him. “You do not need Su to judge that this is not an easy case.”

“Minister He has indeed been too lax in his family discipline,” Prince Yu hurriedly added. “Sir Su might find such actions distasteful, but this king already exerted my powers since Gao Sheng reported the case to the Ministry of Justice. Considering how fast the case was locked down...”

“There is no point in bribing the witnesses, rewording confessions, and altering the corpse if they summoned Marquis Yan immediately to take custody of He Wenxin for Capital Magistrate Gao,” Mei Changsu firmly stated. “Furthermore, Aunt Luo herself reported a complete witness list that covered all clients of Willow House present that night – one of them is Prince Ji. To fall out with your royal uncle for the son of a subject is not a wise move.”

Prince Yu winced immediately.

“Furthermore, if Minister Qi tries to accuse either Miss Lí or Aunt Luo, the retaliation from them will be far worse than He Wenxin,” Mei Changsu considered some more. “In the pugilist world, the human sects and demon kings are akin to well water and river water which does not mix.1 For the River Left Alliance to offend the parties behind them would set a terrible precedent and escalate violence on each side.”

“It is hard for Sir Su,” Prince Yu immediately offered.

“The piece which you must protect now should be Minister Qi. Since the Crown Prince just lost Lou Zijing, he would definitely move in on Minister He, and Minister Qi is the main piece being used to protect Minister He’s son.”

Prince Yu nodded in agreement.

“That is the civil side. As for the military side...” Mei Changsu’s bottom lip curled, as did the harshness with which his fingers pulled at the hem of his right sleeve. “Your Highness does not need to be overly concerned. Even if the Duke of Qing survived this round, he is no match for Xie Yu.”

“That may be so,” Prince Yu frowned. “Xie Yu has called away Xie Bi... that old fox has played us well!”

As the two left the study side-by-side, walking along the corridors of the Su residence, Mei Changsu lifted his gaze to the clouds at the hazy horizon. “If Su may say something... I think Your Highness should cast aside the Duke of Qing, and support Grand Duke Jing.”

“Grand Duke... Jing?” This threw the seven-pearl Royal Prince for a loop. “To help Jingyan investigate? He is a prince, and has the imperial edict to carry out his investigation, who would dare to stop him? Why would he need my support?”

“If it were only a matter of the Bing Province case.” Mei Changsu had halted, and continued: “Your Highness knows that this case is only the beginning, and once it has been judged, there will be an influx of similar cases against many more noble houses. Grand Duke Jing has no experience in handling complicated matters like this. If Your Highness is willing to intervene, and help him quickly calm the waves of protest raised by the noble houses, and maintain the stability of His Majesty’s national affairs, how could he not be grateful to Your Highness?”

Prince Yu took a sharp breath, the air chilled by the coming winter. There was a picture in his mind – bronzed armour flecked gold by firelight, astride a horse sweating blood2 in the fierce heat from its rider.

“What does the Duke of Qing has that he is worth Your Highness’ lament?!” Mei Changsu’s tone turned derisive. “Could two Dukes of Qing compare with half of a Grand Duke Jing?”

“He is a _Fangshi_ ,” Prince Yu whispered. “He can fight a  _Huang_  bird in single combat. With his temperament and that power...”

Mei Changsu gave him a side gaze which nevertheless felt like a physical cut. “The Marquess of Ning has already chosen the Crown Prince. Besides His Highness the Grand Duke Jing, who else amongst the military could compete against him?”

Prince Yu’s brow had furrowed into a single line. “It is true... But, Jingyan is stubborn, and I fear that when I need to use him, he would not obey my orders and deploy his soldiers...”

Mei Changsu turned and met Prince Yu’s eyes.

“Why does Your Highness want to control the military?” The question was posed slowly, as if a teacher was remonstrating a favourite student. “Are you preparing to force an abdication, or to start a rebellion?”

“What is the meaning of these words?” Prince Yu’s heart stopped in fear, and he glanced about him before rebutting: “If I harboured any such intentions, may I be struck by lightning!!”

“In that case, where did the words “deploy his soldiers” come from?” Mei Changsu’s breath condensed into frost as he stepped back and pulled his fur-lined cloak tighter around himself. “This is the capital under His Majesty, with the Feathered Forest Guards number fifty thousand and ten thousand more Imperial Guards under Grand Commander Meng. There is... minimal chance of seizing the throne by force. What use is complete obedience if you only need the appearance?”

One stroke of the fur collar drew the prince’s attention to Mei Changsu’s fingers. “As a _Fangshi_ , the Grand Duke is Great Liang’s foremost offense against otherworldly invasion, next to the Court Master, Marquis Yan. That is the reason why the Emperor still calls at least one of them to be stationed in Jinling for the Seventh Month.3 In Court, the Grand Duke’s function is only to intimidate. Even if the Crown Prince has Xie Yu, it means nothing. As long as Your Highness has Grand Duke Jing and Grand Duchess Nihuang, in His Majesty’s eyes the influence you and the Crown Prince hold over the military is at least equal. So long as you never intend to step onto the path of treason, this is only a bargaining chip.”

“Besides,” Mei Changsu added, “with his rigid and upright personality, would the Grand Duke need your orders to act were the Crown Prince to act rashly again? Look at the _Huang_ bird case. Looks like tomorrow I shall have to pay the Grand Duke a visit representing Your Highness, otherwise he would not even know which wind has brought me to his doorstep...”

It took two whole hours for Mei Changsu to see his guest out.

* * *

Mei Changsu had taken the time to move out of the Xie residence and into his chosen location without fanfare. His house-warming party had had the added advantage of persuading Xiao Jingrui to follow Yan Yujin and Xie Bi to the _Huqiu_ hot springs.

During this time in which his intimate acquaintances were at a safe distance, Mei Changsu successfully managed the double operation of orchestrating He Wenxin’s unwitting murder of Qiu Zhengping, and persuading Prince Yu to give up the once-valued Duke of Qing for Grand Duke Jing. It was thus that Mei Changsu would set out to personally visit Xiao Jingyan’s residence for the first time under this pretext of acting for Prince Yu.

Although the back walls of the Su Manor and Grand Duke Jing’s residence were not far apart, if one were to travel by the main doors, there would be a long series of dangerous roads to pass before seeing the plain but imposing gates of the imperial Jing residence. For one, sometimes the roads in between disappeared; on the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month, the Zhongyuan Festival especially, it was not unknown for such ghost streets to appear and disappear when the gates of Hell had opened.

This wintry day did not have particular spiritual significance, and thus Mei Changsu passed with relatively less molestation to visit the Grand Duke Jing. Mei Changsu got off his palanquin at the gates of the manor and handed over his notice of visit. After waiting a little while, a soldier came out to lead him inside. Prince Jing had not personally come out to receive him, but was waiting inside at the main hall. Tingsheng had also been summoned, and was standing off to one side. The boy had grown quite a bit taller, his demeanour no longer as frightened or cowed as it had been, and he was dressed in clean cotton robes which looked soft and warm.

“Tingsheng greets Sir Su and Feiliu- _gege_.”

Xiao Jingyan frowned, but he did not say anything to Tingsheng kneeling to the strategist.

Feiliu immediately pulled out his present and pushed it into Tingsheng’s hands. “For you!”

“Gold-threaded garments are very rare,” Grand Duke Jing commented. “This gift is too precious.”

“Why are you telling Su? Feiliu gave it to him, Your Highness must speak to Feiliu.”

For once, Xiao Jingyan gave Feiliu a doubtful look, and his bull-headed temper could only pick another day and time to start on this matter as he waved Mei Changsu deeper into his manor.

When Mei Changsu left his house, he had calculated that Xiao Jingyan would have just about finished dealing with military matters by the time he arrived, but the hall was filled with Xiao Jingyan’s most capable subordinates – most of them familiar faces, a few he did not recognise, and all of them renowned and accomplished veterans of his army. When Grand Duke Jing entered, they all immediately clasped their hands in a salute.

“This is Su Zhe, Sir Su.” Xiao Jingyan introduced him simply. “He is my friend. I ask you all to look after him in the future.”

“Yes sir!” Everyone answered together.

Friend? Mei Changsu tried not to laugh. It was not as if Xiao Jingyan could announce their actual relationship, or that he could afford to explain to Jingyan the truth behind Mei Changsu.

“Zhanying, I leave you in charge of the rest of the meeting.”

Mei Changsu gave Lie Zhanying a hard look, his heart sinking. So this nondescript fighter in silver armour was the spy assigned to his manor... exactly which bird forms did he take to spy on him, Mei Changsu could not speculate and did not dare to ask, nor did Mei Changsu want to remark on the man’s certain resemblance to one Huiying in Prince Yu’s residence.

“There is a meeting going on, I will accompany Mister Su to the study to talk.” Grand Duke Jing then took Mei Changsu away. The pair walked out of the hall side by side onto the green-bricked main path. They both remained silent as they walked, neither inclined to raise some topic to lighten the mood.

There should be no reason to walk by the courtyard, Mei Changsu squinted in recall. One did not have to pass by the main hall to reach the study. Did the Grand Duke wish to show him off to his curious men? Would that avian spy in the Jing residence report back to Thousand Autumns Pavilion-? What kind of impression had been made? Military men tended to look down on weak scholars – look at Uncle Nie in the past...

Mei Changsu was saved from a trip down into the darkest recesses of his memories when something like a bullock-cart collided into him.

“Foya!” Xiao Jingyan barked, giving Mei Changsu an apologetic look. “Sorry, Foya seems to have taken a particular shine to you... ah, here’s Fozhua. These are the Jing Manor’s security stone lions.”

Mei Changsu gave the pair of them a look. _Please don’t expose me..._

“Is Mister Su feeling unwell?” Xiao Jingyan’s voice drifted over from one side. “You look very pale.”

“It’s nothing, it is only that I feel it is even colder today than it was yesterday.”

“Of course, today is the winter solstice.”Grand Duke Jing looked as if he had thought of something, and waved a hand to summon a guard, ordering, “Bring a brazier to my study.”

The soldier bowed and left, and Mei Changsu said with a small smile, “Thank you.”

“I usually do not keep braziers in my study, and forgot that you become easily cold, and so overlooked this. Foya, lift him.”

Mei Changsu carefully did not scream as the stone lion hefted him on its back and started walking alongside its owner.

The Grand Duke Jing’s voice was calm as he continued to talk: “I hear you moved into a new residence recently, please accept my congratulations and my apologies for not coming in person to wish you well...”

_Xiao Jingyan, you-_

Mei Changsu bit off his mental reprimand, considering the stone lion under him. That such a beast was made of stone and yet behaved like a dog... was it a mark of the owner’s influence? Or simply proof that even stone contained intelligent life with some sentience?

* * *

The Grand Duke Jing was a military man, and his imperial residence was different from those of the other princes. Its inner courtyard was small and located far to the back, whereas his outer courtyard took up most of the residence. Aside from several arms drilling grounds for military training, there was also a horse-riding ground.

At the moment, the central training ground was swamped with spectators and participants both. Although Fei Liu was only a bodyguard, his fame in Jinling was equal to that of Mei Changsu, and to some of the Grand Duke’s generals, the refined but frail scholar did not arouse their interest nearly as much as this martial-arts master with intriguing skills and tendency to win all his fights. Tingsheng, who had originally been given the responsibility of hosting Fei Liu, had long since been relegated to the sidelines with the rest of the residence’s soldiers to watch Feiliu.

From Feiliu’s expressionless but glowing eyes, he was having quite a lot of fun today, even as he sent a pair of twin brothers wielding pikes sprawling out of the field.

“So, that’s... Meng Liang, the Kuai brothers, Sergeant Zhuge...” Qi Meng slowly considered the book he was making. “The odds were never in our favour...”

A gauntleted hand nearly knocked Qi Meng over.

“General Qi,” Lie Zhanying’s chirp caused the taller, broader general to pale. “Are you _gambling_?”

“No, not at all, not at all...” Qi Meng placed his hands palms together in a gesture resembling a monk. “Let me off this once- ah, Your Highness!”

Those with sharp eyes had already opened a path through the crowd to admit His Highness the Grand Duke Jing and their guest, and were bowing. Mei Changsu did not show any intention of interfering, and His Highness waved a hand. “Continue as you were.”

“A little bird told me,” Mei Changsu airily pronounced, “that the Grand Duke’s army has a famous war-hawk.”

His words, though unintended, were like tossing a pebble into a pond. The ripples of silence it created in its wake were astounding.

“Our Feiliu, however talented, has not faced off against a hawk,” Mei Changsu continued, “and so I would like to educate my bodyguard in this matter.”

“Great!” Feiliu was actually clapping his hands at the thought. “Bird!”

“Your Highness,” a general spoke up. “This...”

Lie Zhanying took one glance at Feiliu, and then beckoned towards Xiao Jingyan. Walking over, Lie Zhanying whispered a few words to the Grand Duke, and received a frown in response.

“Your Highness.”

Xiao Jingyan turned to Mei Changsu. “General Lie told me that there is some otherworldly heritage in your bodyguard,” came the stiff delivery. “General Lie assures me that, were he allowed the full use of his ability, he... could win... but also cautioned that the result would most likely wreck this training ground at least. So I have to decide between giving my men a show and risking the destruction of...”

The Chief of the River Left Alliance immediately gave Lie Zhanying a more searching look. “If they battle until one falls first?”

“...Zhanying.” Xiao Jingyan started. “I have... nothing to hide from Sir Su, but this is not in war, and you need not-”

“This general would like nothing more, if I only have to fight until one falls,” Lie Zhanying swiftly replied, already walking forward towards Feiliu. “Go back.”

The circle of spectators widened – so far that it spanned the whole courtyard. Even Mei Changsu followed the Grand Duke to the high stage at the far end, usually meant for instructors to monitor the whole field.

“The duel will last until one fall,” Xiao Jingyan ordered as Tingsheng lifted a towel. “In this duel, you may use any technique at your disposal – _only_ techniques, not weapons. Start when the towel touches the ground. Zhanying...” he faltered. “This is not the battlefield.”

“Feiliu!” Mei Changsu added. “Remember my instructions.”

“Hmph.”

“Your Highness, Sir Su is your friend and our _guest_ ,” Lie Zhanying and Feiliu kept watching each other as the former spoke. “I will try my best.”

“Zhanying!” Qi Meng shouted. “Show His Highness and Sir Su something good!”

The crowd immediately began to chant. “General Lie! General Lie!”

Mei Changsu leant closer to the Grand Duke. “How is his martial arts?”

“Purely martial arts... Zhanying will lose, even to a lot of my men.” Xiao Jingyan stood steadily with his hands behind his back, his expression indifferent. “His footwork is exceptional, and his light-skill is far better.”

“...well then,” Mei Changsu turned back. “Luckily this is not a battle of pure martial arts.”

The moment the towel touched the ground, the pair shot off like arrows leaving their bows. The clash happened so fast – one was flying, one ducked, and then Lie Zhanying twisted into the air.

A crow snuck up the sides of Feiliu’s boots, causing the youth to cry out. One fist already shot out, but the crow twisted, the black-feathered wing turning into white and grey. One taloned leg clung into the ground, as the crane literally flapped its wings into Feiliu’s face. One side of Feiliu ducked, the other already launching into a hook kick at the crane’s head, but its neck shrunk, and then Lie Zhanying’s arms locked around Feiliu’s neck and his body mass tossed the other boy to the ground.

Feiliu grunted. The bent leg pushed back. Lie Zhanying was bodily tossed over Feiliu’s head, but changed and a hummingbird spun back into the air to a smattering of applause.

“No wonder demons who can change shape are so hard to handle,” Mei Changsu admired. The few demons in the pugilist world tended to be like well water that does not mix with river water. Even Gong Yu and Uncle Thirteen restricted themselves to human forms, though that could be due more to their tasks than any preference.

Having realised that the ‘birds’ were smarter than the pigeons of Langya Hall, Feiliu leapt, soaring in the air after the hummingbird with his light-skill. The humming-bird ducked around Feiliu’s torso and onto his back, and then twisted. Lie Zhanying fell onto Feiliu, and both of them fell to the ground with a thud and a roll.

“Urgh,” Lie Zhanying gasped as Feiliu clambered up from where the boy had landed on the general’s torso. “Sorry, Your Highness...”

“Hate!” Feiliu spat, turning back to Mei Changsu. “Feiliu, hit the ground, he, block!”

“He cushioned your fall, Feiliu?” Mei Changsu commented, his eyes alight. “How nice. Thank this brother, Feiliu.”

“...thanks.”

By the sidelines, Qi Meng crowed. “We won! Pay up!”

“...” Still sitting on the ground, Lie Zhanying put his face into his gauntlets. “General Qi...”

Qi Meng looked into the face of his lord, and realised exactly where he had just admitted to bookmaking.

“Qi Meng behaved rashly,”Grand Duke Jing sighed, “without the manners and courtesy due to his superiors. He is sentenced to thirty strokes of the rod, and demoted to the rank of platoon commander. Zhanying, go get treated – you will oversee the punishment.”

Groaning quietly, the young general knelt in acceptance. “Yes, sir.”

It could be worse, Lie Zhanying told himself. At least General Qi didn’t accidentally use his weapon in the direction of the guest, _or_ to His Highness. _That_ massive loss of face would have been unrepairable.

“A letter was sent from the Mountain of Flowers and Fruits to the Chancellery a few days ago. Those demons are sending an embassy to Jinling.” The Grand Duke spoke next. “They might be monkeys, but that does not mean that my men will follow the monkeys. Is that clear?”

Hearing that, most of the senior officers exchanged looks with the junior officers and nodded. In terms of comparing martial ability, this kind of testing of outsiders was commonplace – yet, whether His Highness and other lords were present or not made all the difference.

If Jinling was entertain foreign demon royalty for the first time in human memory, then the Grand Duke’s men would be the first in the front-line of diplomatic negotiations. They couldn’t afford to lose the face of Great Liang like this.

* * *

**1  井水不犯河水 (jǐng shuǐ bù fàn hé shuǐ) – Do not interfere with one another.**   


**2 This is referring to the Ferghana horse. According to tradition, these horses sweat blood, giving rise to the name: "sweats blood horse" ( 汗血马 hàn xuè mǎ).**

**3 The seventh lunar month is called the Ghost Month in Chinese culture. During this month, the gates of Diyu open up and ghosts are free to roam the earth where they seek food and entertainment.**


	19. 辛巳: Method

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The priest shut his eyes. “The Marquis said, Your Majesty has offended too many women, and should wait at least until the new year...!”

#  辛巳: Method

Far from the borders of Liang, in the empire of Southern Chu, one Lin Chen sat next to Xiao Jingrui’s face. The pair of young masters fishing by a river made an interesting sight.

“He really does look about seven to eight parts like the Prince of Chen.” Lin Chen tutted. “Wearing his face in broad daylight, aren’t you ashamed of being called out as a pervert? Elder.”

“By you?” a strange hiss escaped from Xiao Jingrui’s lips – as if there was more than one person talking. “As the younger, you should have brought your elder along.”

“My father has passed the family business to me, and is now travelling the four seas,” Lin Chen inclined his head. “You also know that all the excitement is in Jinling right now, elder.”

“Call me Beike,” His angling partner ordered. “That is my courtesy name. And I will call you Lin Chen.”

“Jiang Beike,1” Lin Chen sighed. “I’ll be hungry for clams after saying that name so many times, _Madame_ Jiang.”

“ _Mister_ Jiang,” Jiang Beike corrected, touching the face that was Xiao Jingrui’s exact copy. “Humans make such a point about gender distinction. We must craft the faces perfectly, and address each other by what we act as. Drawing skins and painting faces can only go so far.”

“I’m not disparaging your artistry,” Lin Chen admired. “The Prince of Chen is not disputing your handicraft either. I think, even that Prince of Ling is admiring it.”

“Or perhaps he was like this free-spirited little boy, trying to act the playboy to the beauty.”

“I didn’t mention you, Elder, only your handiwork,” Lin Chen continued, tugging at the fishing line. “Do you want to have a contest?”

“How interesting. Is it on fishing?”

“Not at all. Fortune-telling,” Lin Chen vaguely pointed north. “Without moving from this spot, we divine what has happened in Jinling. For example... the Liang Emperor has decreed that Grand Duke Jing would be assigned to judge the Bing Province case.”

“Not worth divining,” Jiang Beike scoffed. “They still need him to fend off the Year’s beasts.2 What else will he do in the meantime? His brother praises him.”

Lin Chen rolled his eyes. “Then do you know who else is assigned to it?”

“Cai Quan, Han Zhiyi, Zhang Jianzhen, Wei Yuan, Yuan Shiying, Qin Yue.” One eye flickered towards Lin Chen. “This is not fortune-telling, it’s just divining which one is more likely to follow Jiang Ziwen into Hell’s bureaucracy.3 The outcome of stripping all noble titles is certain – it only remains to see if the Duke can preserve his life.”

“You win this round,” Lin Chen shook his head. “But who has benefited in the end? The result will be known in ten days, so... how do you figure?”

Eyes narrowed. Lost in thought, the hands holding the fishing rod slackened. “The fifth Prince – Prince Yu – will receive four bolts of satin and a gold chain. The seventh Prince will gain the Ministry of Justice.”

“Hmm? But the Ministry is still headed by Qi Min,” Lin Chen played along.

“There will be change.”

Lin Chen’s lips thinned. “Then... let’s try the He Wenxin case on your Spiral Market Street.”

“Qiu Zhengping died on my allowance,” Jiang Beike corrected. “That point is not debatable.”

“What about his murderer then?” the young master of Langya Hall posed. “Will the executioner’s blade fall, or...?”

“He Wenxin will die at the Spring execution.” There was nothing more.

Lin Chen tutted. “Well, only the future can tell if we predicted Heaven’s will accordingly. The last case... this year’s end ceremony, which determines if the following year will go smoothly.”

“It will not.”

Lin Chen perked up. “Oh?”

Jiang Beike had a small smile. “The Emperor will die, and someone paid me to ensure that.”

“Madame Jiang,” Lin Chen spoke after a long silence. “This isn’t a joke, right? This- this isn’t fun... if a demon assassinates the Emperor, the peace which you hold so dear will shatter-”

“The winds have changed, little Lin,” Behind Xiao Jingrui’s dark pupils shone an opalescence not unlike the under-shell of an abalone. “Regicide is something I have done before. Besides, the reputation of my Jiyue Hall is at stake. Can _you_ stop me?”

“...Elder,” Lin Chen stared at the painted skin. “Do you... want me to stop you?”

“It cannot be helped. Meilin has paid me to do it. It only remains to be seen if your Qilin can sway him.”

* * *

At the end of the year, the most important task for the imperial family were the sacrificial rites – sacrifices to the ancestors, sacrifices to the nation, and sacrifices to the gods. To the Court and to the imperial Xiao clan, whether the rites were performed correctly determined whether the following year would bring fortune or calamity. So, not even the slightest mistake could be made in the ceremony.

Taking this chance, Xie Yu pushed the Crown Prince to beg for the restoration of his birth mother’s rank.

The Crown Prince was delighted with this idea. After some careful preparation, he ran to kneel before the Emperor and wept for two whole hours, trying to show himself as obedient and pious.

Minister Chen of the Ministry of Rites was duly summoned to be consulted upon on this subject, and did not object – in fact, the Old Minister became the Crown Prince’s advocate. It was also at this time that two people from very disparate locales and positions arrived.

“Marquess of Ning Xie Yu, and Priest Ming of the Department of Secret Books, requests to see the Emperor.”

“How did they come together?” asked the Emperor.

Gao Zhan shook his head. “Your Majesty, they came from opposing ends of the Palace. The Department of Secret Books is not allowed to communicate with many officials – only to the Emperor and to the watchmen. The Marquess is only here to submit his report.”

“Summon!”

The Emperor did not know about the relationship between Xie Yu and the Crown Prince, and thinking that he was a neutral military official, he asked whether Lady Yue ought to be restored to her original rank.

“This was a matter of Your Majesty’s imperial household – at the time, no one dared to comment,” Xie Yu reported. “Now, since Your Majesty’s heart has changed and is inclined to show mercy, then it is simply a matter of issuing the imperial decree. What difficulty remains?”

“The lady Yue tried to use demonic substances in the Palace, connived the Crown Prince into following her deluded plans, and placed her sovereign in danger!” The Emperor huffed, ignoring Xie Yu to ask the priest: “Priest Zhang. Why have you come?”

“R- Reporting to Your Majesty, this p- priest has come on a serious matter regarding the year-end rites...”

“Oh, how nice,” the Emperor groused. “Say it first. Minister Chen and the Crown Prince might want to listen as well.”

“...” the priest shifted. “W- With regards to the  _Huang_ bird incident, we believe that this intrusion between realms has unwittingly allowed a ghost into the Palace. From witness statements derived from around, we confirmed that the ghost was a hanging female ghost, in her thirties... when we consulted Marquis Yan, he... recommended that... given the sensitivity of the year-end rites, and because both the  _Huang_ bird and this ghost is female, there is already too much _yin_ energy about, and thus the Inner Palace should be entirely removed this year.”

“Yan Que said so?” the Emperor echoed, only to receive a confirmation. “Are you holding something back?”

“Reporting back to Your Majesty, the Marquis Yan said a lot of things which boiled down to what this priest just related...”

“Tell me exactly what he said.” The Emperor ordered.

Priest Ming immediately fell to his knees in the face of the imperial wrath. “Erm...”

“You’re not guilty, We will forgive you this once!”

The priest shut his eyes. “The Marquis said, Your Majesty has offended too many women, and should wait at least until the new year...!”

“That-! Why didn’t he come and say so himself?!” the sovereign demanded.

“Replying to Your Majesty, the Marquis is catching the female ghost...”

The report caused the Emperor to wilt. “...Yan Que is having a hard time. How... is he?”

“...” the priest knelt, shivering.

“We are asking you, how is the Marquis Yan!!!”

Priest Ming’s forehead met the floor so hard that even the Crown Prince cringed for him. “Replying to Your Majesty, the Marquis Yan is devoted to the research for the elixir, to the point where his eating and sleeping is lessened, and he bemoans his lack of cultivation... we priests have asked for the Imperial Physicians to look at him, but the Marquis does not trust any of them...”

The Emperor frowned at this report. “Then what does he need all of you for? Where is he now?”

“H- His Grace is around Zhiluo Palace...? He said the ghost might be there.”

This drew a frown, and then a sad sigh as the Emperor sank back into his throne. “Concubine Jing’s place... good enough.”

“...Your Majesty...” Minister Chen tentatively began. “The rites?”

“Marquis Yan said so,” the Emperor waved a hand. “No women. That Yan Que... Minister Chen, carry it out.”

“...? Yes...”

“Dismissed!”

Outside of the Hall, the Crown Prince Xiao Jingxuan gave perplexed looks, but Xie Yu remained calm. “I heard,” Xie Yu started, “that the Marquis Yan was supposed to have a tongue of three feet which does not rot4, but that priest must have messed up his recounting of the Marquis Yan’s words.”

“Not at all,” Minister Chen Yuancheng shook his head. “The Marquis Yan has been cultivating fiercely and does not involve himself in Court tussles. Few people can out-speak him. As the foremost Taoist master of our Great Liang, the _Meilin_ must be given the courtesy to be absolutely frank to the Emperor, or trouble would brew.”

“Then,” the Crown Prince fidgeted, “what about Mother Consort?”

“We have to wait for another chance,” Xie Yu sighed. “In any other matter we might have won, but here and now, considering the situation, we cannot persuade the Emperor if the Marquis Yan says it would harm him. Offending women... what kind of women can-”

Xie Yu stopped, his shoulders hunching, and he fell silent as several unpleasant possibilities occurred to him, one of them connecting the Emperor, Marquis Yan, and Concubine Jing.

“Could it be...?”

* * *

A tinkle of water against china broke the silence in the midst of a tea party in Zhiluo Palace.

No, that came out wrong.

Before an execution begins, the executioner must wash the blade in wine to consecrate it to the gods. The sin of dismembering a body in death would be accounted for by the gods’ knowing, perhaps? The sound of wine falling down the great blade of the executioner sounded like Concubine Jing pouring tea, babbling about the weather, Marquis Yan just dropping in, people were making trouble in the Palace again, nothing new, carry on...

“Jingyan?” Her voice was soft and warm. “Are you alright?”

“...I have... started to join the fight for the inheritance.”

“Are you joining the Crown Prince, or Prince Yu?”

“For myself.” Jingyan shook his head in the sanctuary of Zhiluo Palace. “For Elder Brother, for Little Shu, for everyone... Mother, I must gain this place.”

For a long moment, mother and son considered the trellis that grew in the herb garden of Zhiluo Palace’s courtyard. “...you’ve decided then.”

“Yes.”

“It will be very hard.”

“I know.”

“Then, you must go and do it.”

“But, Mother-”

At this, she turned to him. “Do not be held back by me. Whether you succeed or fail, as long as we mother and son share the burden, what is there to fear?”

The blade falls, its target severed. Having made the promise now, how could he turn back?

* * *

In the Royal Palace, another type of serendipity occurred.

This one was prefaced with tragedy, of lovers torn apart by rules and imperial commands, then the vows of the Way, and then death only to reunite as fundamentally different people who nevertheless stayed the same. This meeting was witnessed by Commander Meng, who was following the Marquis Yan as they went hunting for ghosts, and found a ghost – the ghost they were dreading to meet in this life.

She was dressed in white and purple robes. Her neck hung broken and limp, almost like a soggy noodle upon which her head bobbed around. Her features, it was noted, were already dead save for the manic ghost-fire in her dark eyes and mad features – nevertheless, recognisable enough for the Marquis Yan to drop his peach-wood staff of exorcism.

“ _Yueyao_?!”

“Yan Que,” the ghost gasped, waning in the sunlight. “Where is my grandson?”

“Get out of the sunlight!” Yan Que snapped, already pulling off his cloak to drape it around her head, but she fell through the thick cloth and continued to stare vacantly at the piled cloak, Yan Que, and beyond the Taoist.

“Grandson... Grandmother is here, don’t worry... your father and mother risked everything to send Grandmother out from the Netherworld, you can’t have died in the next few months!”

“Marquis,” Commander Meng spoke in a low voice, his face pale. “Is that...?”

Yan Que’s face fell. “For ghosts to linger in this world requires attachment far beyond common men – far beyond madness. To come to this world outside of the Zhongyuan festival, to this Royal Palace brimming with the imperial aura, to suffer the pain from burning under sunlight... where did Prince Qi have a child?!”

Commander Meng cleared his voice. “My lady Consort Chen-”

“ _Shut up_!” Lin Yueyao shrieked, her voice echoing in the confines of the deserted, secluded courtyard that she had been wandering about next to the well. “Who wants that title?! My son, my brother, my family, Jinyang... daughter-in-law... grandson!”

The stone lip of the well cracked under her frenzied shouts.

“He’s not dead!” Meng Zhi shouted back in shock as the ghost turned on him.

The late Consort Chen froze in a picture of despair and shock, before her cold limbs clasped onto the Grand Commander, her forearms by this throat as her thumbs stood poised to dig into his eyeballs, placing her twisted face right into his.

“What,” she purred, “do. You. Mean?”

“Tingsheng made it out of the Palace, my lady,” A tear fell from Meng Zhi’s eye. “Grand Duke Jing took him in as a bodyguard. There’s no record of his birth in the Inner Bureau, so he won’t be able to return, but he is alive, and with his uncle.”

She let go of him, backing away. “I want to see him!”

“You need to get out of the Palace first!” Yan Que hissed, grabbing at the back of her robes. “Yueyao, you _cannot_ go see him like this! How old is the boy, I do not know, but normal people would be scared stiff of a ghost finding them!”

Flesh could not touch spirit, but his words seemed to have struck a chord. Lin Yueyao froze, almost as if her reason was warring with her strong attachments which left her in this realm rather than passing on to the next world.

Yan Que’s voice gentled. “I’ll help you find him, alright?”

“Hmm...” Lin Yueyao blinked, her eyes sliding in whichever way they would go in her head. “Where... is the way?”

“I’ll carry you out in a bottle,” Yan Que explained. “Commander Meng will help me smuggle you out. You just gather yourself and your wits about you. Ghosts who spend too long in this world cannot cope with the _yang_ energy of daylight and will dissipate anytime. Think of anything that will motivate you to stay together.”

“I want to kill him,” she said as the Marquis searched through his sleeve.

“Hate is a strong motivator,” Yan Que agreed. “Xiao Xuan?”

“That hypocritical, conniving, thieving bastard!” Lin Yueyao screamed as her hands started to dissolve in the sunlight that fell.

“ _Aiyoh_ , my lady, that’s...” Commander Meng sighed, rolling his eyes skywards. “I didn’t hear anything, I didn’t hear anyone insulting the Emperor...”

The swearing was cut off with a _plonk_.

Yan Que gave a sigh as he stowed the bottle into his sleeve. “Commander Meng...”

“I didn’t hear anything, I didn’t see anything, I won’t say anything...” Turning around, the Commander coughed as the wind was knocked out of him by walking into a wall.

* * *

**1 This name is written as  姜贝壳‘ginger clamshell’.**

**2 According to Chinese mythology, a Nian ( 年兽 nián shòu) is a beast that lives under the sea or in the mountains. He was said to have the body of a bull and head of a lion. Once every year at the beginning of Chinese New Year, it comes out of hiding to feed, but during winter since food is sparse he would go to the village. He would eat the crops and sometimes the villagers, mostly children. Weaknesses of the Nian are purported to be a sensitivity to loud noises, fire, and a fear of the colour red.**

**3 Jiang Ziwen ( 蒋子文 Jiǎng Zǐwén) was a captain of Moling county in China during the Eastern Han dynasty. Following the introduction of Buddhism to China and the popularization of Yama, Jiang was placed in charge of the first of the Ten Courts of Hell and the Mirror of Sins as the Qinguang King (秦廣王).**

**4 ZH:  三寸不烂之舌 (san cun bu lan zhi she) – to have a silver tongue (idiom).**


	20. 壬午: Noon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You’ve found me out,” Mei Changsu answered, laughing. “I’m a ghost, are you scared?”
> 
> “If everyone could return, even as a ghost, I would still be happy,” Meng Zhi sighed. “You would not believe who that female ghost in the Palace was.”
> 
> Mei Changsu froze.
> 
> “So,” Meng Zhi continued to relate, “today Marquis Yan and I were hunting ghosts in the Palace, and you know that’s always scary, but we found her by a well. It’s Consort Chen! She went crazy trying to find Tingsheng again, and it was so hard, but-”

# 壬午: Noon

“Do you think I’m unlucky today?” Meng Zhi first asked when he walked into the Su residence to see Mei Changsu feeding letters and pages into his brazier. “You’re looking pretty idle...”

“There is cold air lingering around you, don’t come too close to me,” Mei Changsu ordered. “Go and roast a bit first, and come back when you’re well cooked.”

Meng Zhi didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Have you still not hear the news? Guess where I’ve just come from.”

“The imperial Mu residence, after a sojourn at the Palace.”

He had guessed correctly on the first try, and Meng Zhi couldn’t help raising an eyebrow, and came forward to pinch Mei Changsu’s cheek, sighing at the elasticity of flesh under his hands. “I nickname you Little Su. Little Shu, you’ve become more and more like a devil since your return, are you sure you are still living?”

Fei Liu’s palm came flying over. “Let go!”

“You’ve found me out,” Mei Changsu answered, laughing. “I’m a ghost, are you scared?”

“If everyone could return, even as a ghost, I would still be happy,” Meng Zhi sighed. “You would not believe who that female ghost in the Palace was.”

Mei Changsu froze.

“So,” Meng Zhi continued to relate, “today Marquis Yan and I were hunting ghosts in the Palace, and you know that’s always scary, but we found her by a well. It’s Consort Chen! She went crazy trying to find Tingsheng again, and it was so hard, but-”

“My aunt was haunting the Palace?!” Mei Changsu coughed, and doubled over into a coughing fit which had Feiliu thumping and massaging his back. “When? How?”

“Ghost!” Feiliu made a face.

Meng Zhi looked from Feiliu to Mei Changsu. “Anyway, she was so pitiful, I cried a bit. Don’t laugh, only people with hearts of stone could lack sympathy for the lady. Then the sunlight was so strong, the Marquis had to carry her in a bottle. Lucky she has no form, she can fit inside, and we left the Palace like that. The Marquis took her to his Manor, and I went to the Mu residence before I came here. You heard that the Crown Prince tried to have Concubine Yue’s rank restored?”

“I heard it, but Meng- _dàgē_ , back to the subject! What about my aunt?” Mei Changsu cut in.

“Oh, the Marquis said that she spent too long in the sunlight which cost her some higher brain functions,” Meng Zhi glumly looked down, but added: “She’ll be fine after some time in a dark place. The Marquis Yan invited me to his residence tonight, possibly to buy my silence or something. I would be offended, except...”

“Except that ghosts returning is one of the Emperor’s biggest fears,” Mei Changsu’s tone turned sardonic. “How would Aunt try to approach him, I don’t know...”

“Unless the Marquis goes in by the front door,” Meng Zhi pointed out. “Hey... do you think your friend can go down to the Yellow Springs and ask around?”

“If it was so easy to transmigrate by will, Langya Hall and its associates don’t need to earn money anymore,” Mei Changsu rebuked, but without heat. “Aunt would actually stay in this city awash in blood and memories...”

“And Xia Jiang,” Meng Zhi pointed out. “The Director is out of the city on training at the moment, but...”

“To protect Tingsheng to such a frenzied degree...” Mei Changsu shivered, pushing himself closer to the brazier and its coals. “Whatever happens tonight, tell me everything.”

“She’s your aunt...”

“Does Marquis Yan know that?” Mei Changsu sharply cut Meng Zhi off.

“He’s going to know very soon,” Meng Zhi sighed, continuing once he’d gotten Mei Changsu’s expression. “Who is Marquis Yan, but the foremost Taoist master in Jinling? Even if Consort Chen didn’t see you down there, he has his own sources, right?”

“Of course Marquis Yan is going to find out, but is he going to tell anyone?” Mei Changsu posed rhetorically. “The Marquis did not reach his rank simply by birth. Also, since he’s been cultivating for so long, who would he-... tell...”

Meng Zhi stared back as Mei Changsu seemed to be on his own train of thought. “...Little Shu? Oi! Little Shu!”

A wheeze issued from Mei Changsu’s lips.

“Little Shu! Doctor!!”

A door slammed, a bound, and a waft of cold air heralded the arrival of Physician Yan, complete with a steaming bowl. “It’s here, I see. Inhale this. Do not eat,” he warned, shoving the bowl into his face. “The lungs this time, I see.”

Mei Changsu’s breathing eased.

Patting Mei Changsu’s back, Meng Zhi looked from the patient to the physician. “Many thanks to Physician Yan...”

“I... need...”

“You still want to get up?” Physician Yan thundered. “If I let you get up from your bed before three days has passed, my name is not Yan!”

“...pills... Xun-”

Physician Yan’s ears twitched dangerously. “Lie down!”

* * *

There was a distinction between _Fangshi_ and _Daoshi_ , or Taoist hermits1 as they were sometimes called. _Fangshi_ could be born, but choose never to leave the secular world and cultivate the way to immortality, always retaining the incredible gifts of power and strength which marked them as different. Conversely, anyone in theory could train to be a Taoist, but it was generally acknowledged that being born as a _Fangshi_ conferred a tremendous advantage over training until one’s body rotted in order to gain the bones of an immortal.

There were always people who fussed about the differences in both categories. In Meng Zhi’s mind, it was like the difference between naturally born martial talent and training hard every day. Of course, there were _Fangshi_ who simply chose different paths – after all, there were three hundred and sixty trades in the world. 2It really, really should mean very little except for touchy superstition and arrogance.

Except...

“There are a lot of plum trees in Marquis’ manor,” he told the owner when he arrived at the Yan manor. In the middle of winter, the plum blossoms were nevertheless budding, awaiting for the cold to recede and let them herald the coming of spring with their pungent blossoms. “Does the Marquis like plum blossoms?”

“A Taoist is similar to a doctor in some respects,” Marquis Yan shrugged as the pair walked through corridors with the trees, laden with snow. “Plums and apricots are also of the same family.3 If a good doctor can be called an ‘apricot forest’,4 then why can’t a good Taoist call himself a ‘plum forest’? I plant all these plum trees about for that purpose. Demons in the capital already acknowledge me as ‘he of the plum forest’ – perhaps history books will remember me as that.”

“Marquis has unparalleled eloquence,” Meng Zhi nodded, smiling. “I don’t really know where you got that idea from?”

“I heard from a friend, that there is an island country, far across the land and seas,” Marquis Yan solemnly stated. “That small country, isolated by the seas and besieged by invaders, is defended by a sage – a master, at that! His name is Meilin.5 To give courage and hope in adversity, and effect the five blessings at the end6 – at least...”

The Marquis seemed so far away and remote in that moment that it was just awkward to interfere, even as they passed the main hall and went towards a firewood shed outfitted with locks. Seal script on paper talismans festooned the doors, rope trailing more talismans battered against the north wind, and as Marquis Yan reached over and yanked open the doors, a mournful scream echoed from within.

“Is he here...?”

“Yueyao,” Yan Que sighed, “Jingyan just left. How is Tingsheng going to come quickly? You should stand in the middle of the formation.”

“Oh.” The late Consort Chen settled herself primly in the midst of a circular array, marked with black flags in four directions and painted crookedly, as if all of it was done by hand. Her eyes narrowed in his direction. “Yan Que... how did you get so old?”

“You didn’t come look for me for twelve years, how would you know?”

Lin Yueyao huffed. “You renew the door talismans every year, how am I supposed to go in?”

“Isn’t the Northern Hamlet brimming with demons?! Go to the City God!”

“I’m also a fugitive...” she complained. “The guards of Hell keep watch, and the deities of the Earth do not look kindly on wandering ghosts.”

“My lady,” Meng Zhi saluted the lady once more. “About this afternoon-”

“Don’t call me ‘my lady’ or ‘Your Ladyship’7,” Lin Yueyao lamented.

“How can I do that?” Meng Zhi shook his head. “His Majesty has never removed your title.”

“A title nobody remembers is no different than having no title,” her sadness at least seemed more controlled now. “I’ve already died and become a hanging ghost. Does a ghost still need a title?”

“Then... Madam Lin?”

“That’s much better.”

“Madam Lin,” Meng Zhi began, “how did you end up in the Palace? Transmigrating the three worlds as a ghost, without people chasing after you...”

“How did I...” Lin Yueyao flickered in and out of sight. “...after I... died, I found myself in the Palace. Wandering around, the other lonely and wild ghosts of the Palace sometimes gave me advice, sometimes chased me away... a lot of them were trapped in the Cold Palace where they had been sentenced after losing the emperor’s favour. Never before in life, but now in death did I realise what kind of place the Palace was.

“I wandered to the Secluded Courtyard, where I found the Princess Consort Qi, already pregnant. She had discarded her identity and swapped placed with Xiutong, dying in childbirth to deliver Tingsheng safely to leave behind a survivor of Jingyu’s bloodline. Her spirit was not settled even then – the two of us became ghosts together, haunting the survivor of the Qi household under great duress and fear. Every day the sunlight hurt us, every night we watched for the guards of Hell approaching. Neither food nor drink nor incense was offered.”

Marquis Yan fidgeted.

“For the first ten years, we swapped places every _Zhongyuan_ , when the gates of Hell would fall open and ghosts would roam the earth. In the eleventh year, the Ox-Head and Horse-Faced Hell Guards discovered our trick. My daughter-in-law sacrificed herself to let me get away and safeguard Tingsheng, but... Hell is only a small part of where gods and demons live in the otherworld.”

“I wandered the spirit world, lost and afraid and alone. Beasts wandered the realm, and birds soared across the skies, and I did not know how many bends and breaks in the roads I walked led to a dead end. If it were not for the passage of a _Huang_ batting me in the wake of its flight, I would not have followed the queen of birds into the human world and the accursed Palace once again.”

Lin Yueyao rested her head down, before she forced her spine straight. “Jingyan did not see me until now... Yan Que, how is he...?”

“His Highness the Grand Duke Jing has gone to fetch Tingsheng,” Marquis Yan nodded. “At least he still has the presence of mind to do this. The moment he saw you, I thought he was going to faint! He didn’t ask after you or me or his royal brother at all...”

“Jingyan’s heart always went to Little Shu first,” Lin Yueyao shook her head. “At least he asked after Jingyu, Brother, and Sister-in-law. This boy... I think not even Sister Jing can do anything now.”

Her eyes then fell on Meng Zhi again. “Many thanks to Grand Commander Meng for helping me to escape the Palace.”

“This general is only following my emotions and friendship. Assisting a departed soul to peace is not wrong, as the monks in Shaolin Temple say.”

“Even if the law says otherwise?” she asked.

“Madam Lin... human law was set by humans, for humans.” Meng Zhi sighted. “The Grand Court of Review, much less the Ministry of Justice, cannot change that notion. The moment that ghosts can be judged, then what about ghosts who have transcended to Heaven? What about ordinary spirits born of the energy of the earth? Even the gods... ah, but that is too close. I am only a mortal man, no matter my martial arts. In this matter where the law does not govern, I can only follow my conscience.”

“If he learnt not to offend Heaven, then seventy thousand lives will not have been given up on this earth, and now remain in the City of Wrongful Deaths!” Lin Yueyao snarled. “Hell is run more fairly by demons than earth is run by humans nowadays.”

“ _Aiyoh_!” Meng Zhi retreated. “You cannot say it like this! Humans have no magic, nor long lives, and can only depend on their own to make a living. And, with yourself like this... what will you do now?”

“I have my own methods. There is no need for the Grand Commander to worry.” Her head drooped, all the way to her lap in a gesture that was both tiring and terrible to behold. “I am tired. Yueyao cannot send Commander Meng out. Good day.”

“Ah, ah, ah,” Meng Zhi panicked. “My lady Consort Chen- please at least give me some account-!”

“Yan Que,” Lin Yueyao ignored the Commander. “Send him out.”

“ _Aiyah_ , Madam Lin,” Meng Zhi muttered. “How can you order an elderly gentleman like the Marquis Yan around like this?”

“Confucius did not talk about the strange, violence, riots and the spiritual,”8 the Marquis sniffed as the two men bade the ghost farewell and left the firewood shed. “I am a _Daoshi_ – all of those things apply to me. When was the last time I stepped into Court if not for strange happenings?”

“If Marquis Yan is not a gentleman,” Meng Zhi sighed, “then rough people like me have no hope. Marquis Yan, you said that His Highness the Grand Duke already... visited? How... is he?”

“How well can he be,” said the Marquis, “when a secret of this magnitude weighs in his heart?”

 

* * *

**1 ‘Hermit’ in this case refers to 仙人 (xian ren).**

**2ZH: 三百六十行 (sān bǎi liù shí háng) – Chinese equivalent of ‘all walks of life’.**

**3 Chinese plum is  _Prunus mume,_ which is closely related to the general  _P. armeniaca_  apricots. Plus, given how mixed up Taoist science and medicine is around this time, a good doctor could seem downright magical.**

**4 ZH: 杏林 (xing lin) – literally ‘apricot forest’, a figurative term for a fine doctor. This term originates from the Chinese physician Dong Feng (董奉), one of the Three Physicians of Jian’an – next to Hua Tuo (Chinese god of surgery) and Zhang Zhongjing (sage of Chinese medicine). It is said that Dong Feng would refuse monetary payment for his services. Instead, he would ask patients successfully cured of minor ailments to plant a single apricot kernel, and those cured of severe ailments were asked to plant five kernels. A forest of apricot trees came to surround his home as a testament to his skill. Dong Fēng thus became known as “he of the apricot forest”. Later, people would come to describe physicians and those in the medical profession poetically as “those of the apricot forest”, and their place of work, i.e. hospitals, as “apricot forests”.**

**5 See Chapter 17 footnote 2.**

**6 According to the _Book of Documents_ (书经 shu jing), there are "Five Blessings" (五福 wu fu) which refer to longevity, wealth, health and composure, virtue, and the desire to die a natural death in old age.**

**7 Both are translations of 娘娘 (niang niang), which is commonly used to address high-ranking women in Court – and also goddesses.**

**8 ZH: 子不语: 怪、力、乱、神. This sentence comes from the Analects of Confucius – again – to sum up the topics in which a Confucian gentleman should discuss about and avoid discussing about. In fact, Confucius’ entire stance on the supernatural was to leave them alone, a fact which is compounded by the instability and panic which supernatural means tended to arouse in pre-industrial agricultural Chinese society.**


	21. 癸未: Thunderbolt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Face-changing surgery,” Foreman Zhao tutted. “Normally, demons who are really ugly, they can’t go around normal people, right? And they don’t know how to change shape. So, Thousand Autumns Pavilion boasts that they can draw a skin, a different one for each customer, each with its own charm, that those demons use as a face to conduct business in Jinling.”
> 
> “Face-changing surgery?” the Grand Duke echoed, taking a sudden interest. “Is it demons only?”
> 
> The foreman gave a bewildered look. “Master, with your kind of heroic air and smooth features, I don’t think you need it to be able to marry a wife.”

#  癸未: Thunderbolt

“That little troublemaker,” Lin Yueyao snapped once the door of the woodshed which was her shelter opened once again, barely an hour after Meng Zhi had left the Yan manor. “He is definitely in contact with Meng Zhi.”

“On that, you and I know the same things already,” Yan Que settled himself in front of the array which kept her in this realm. “So you acted out such a play for the Grand Commander, just to fool a wayward nephew?”

“It was a simple inference,” Lin Yueyao sat back. “I did not see him with Brother, and Brother told me that he has not seen Little Shu since the Cliffs of Mei. Jingyu told me that the Registers of Life and Death recorded his death, but none of the Courts of Hell actually received such a soul – such news is public record in Hell. Whether Little Shu found a benefactor, or if he actually managed by some freak coincidence... there is only one possibility: he found a way to fool the heavens and cross the sea,1 and stayed alive.”

“Or Heaven opened its eyes and left Lin Shu alive with Tingsheng,” Yan Que pondered. “It restores one’s faith in the world.”

“If you would wear a thicker cloak, it would restore _my_ faith,” Lin Yueyao scanned him with an eye. “You didn’t even bring a hand-stove, and you came to such a cold and draughty place. Did you even think about your age?”

“I am warm enough, no need for your attention,” Yan Que glanced back to her. “Yueyao, your mental state is still too unstable. Though this array will help you anchor yourself into the mortal world, tomorrow I will still look for my contacts.”

“Humans will rise to immortals and fall to ghosts.” Lin Yueyao frowned. “Do you think he is a ghost as well?”

“I do not know.”

This drew a hum.

“The other thing I do not know,” Yan Que continued, “is why you would discard your title so easily.”

“I accepted this title out of duty to the state at first,” Lin Yueyao sighed. “You and I could not leave our loyalties behind. All the lies, though, only helped to sever our personal loyalties to the man on the throne. Now I am dead, and the matters of the world seem so minor compared to my personal motivations.”

“Do you think... that I am very petty?” Her eyes, slanted like a phoenix’s and ringed with blackness stark against the sallow ghost-light of her cheeks, stared back to him. “A vile character who exists only on spite?”

“Confucius did not talk about the strange, violence, riots, and the spiritual – these are apparently not suited to gentlemen,” the old Taoist master replied. “I am a Taoist master, and you are a ghost. We can be petty and vile characters together.”

This drew a smile from Lin Yueyao. “So old already, with a grown son, and you’re still such a smooth talker. Yujin, he is alright?”

“...he went to the hot springs with Jingrui,” Yan Que frowned. “I did not pay much attention to him... I still do not. This is my failing as his father. Why do you ask?”

“He is your son, why would I not ask?” She put up a hand. “I am a _Fangshi_ , not a Taoist, do you really think my expertise can match up to Marquis Yan, the _Meilin_ of this generation? Do you think I know that much about talismans and rituals?”

“You certainly know enough to know that term.”

“Madame Jiang told you that story which she got from that god of love from Great Qin when he came to visit Lord Yue Lao. The whole Netherworld knows that story of the old wizard sticking a sword in a boulder to choose the next king of that small kingdom in the West now.” Lin Yueyao shook her head. “This is gossip from underneath – fortune-telling at best.”

“Then let us both old hens squawk, since there is nothing better to do between old friends, and ghosts are beyond normal etiquette, and we have not talked so much since half a lifetime ago.”

This reply drew another laugh, and the Marquis smiled for once in a long, long time. “Let us talk about Lin Shu. Your worthy nephew somehow lived, and where do you think he is now, if he can talk to Commander Meng? For that matter,” he gave her a hard look, “how did you know?”

“Normally, when people channel the ghost of someone they knew, and they could manage to talk, what is the first thing they ask?”

Yan Que shut his eyes. “Their deceased family. But the Grand Commander is also considered half a family relation to the Lin family as well.”

“But he did not ask about Brother or Sister-in-law, much less others in the Chiyan army,” Lin Yueyao explained. “Furthermore, let’s talk about Tingsheng. Considering Tingsheng’s status at first, why would a child in the Secluded Courtyard suddenly gain the notice of the Grand Commander? Would Jingyan tell him? Jingyan cannot afford to let other people know about Tingsheng – he told me himself just now.”

Yan Que frowned in the relative darkness. “I thought it strange too... especially just now... ‘laws are set by humans’. This is not the type of beliefs that the Grand Commander of the Imperial Guards should talk about, much less pay attention to. Even if he disagreed inside, to give voice to them... Yueyao, what are you doing to do?”

“I cannot leave this array, according to you,” Yueyao mused. “And... we were the ones who put Xiao Xuan on the throne in the first place.”

“...” Yan Que nodded once, short and sharp. “If we were the ones to place him in power in the first place... obviously we should help to pull him down.”

“Perhaps not so much, Yan Que,” Lin Yueyao paced in the small space enclosed by the array of black pennants around her. “From Jingyan... my wayward nephew did not seek him out. He definitely has something in mind, with his arrogant spirit and high capabilities in both civil and martial matters. Thirteen years does not change people so easily... he will investigate this once Meng Zhi tells him.”

“So you let Meng Zhi dangle as bait, and wait for Lin Shu to take the bait?” Yan Que stroked his beard in deep thought. “What if he doesn’t?”

“You’re not active in Court, and I’m stuck here,” Lin Yueyao considered. “Do you have any way to let me move independently, at least? I need to be able to move out without losing myself. Until then, though, we can only wait for the fish to take the bait. What we can do now...”

Lin Yueyao and Yan Que shared a conspiring look. “I haven’t seen Nihuang yet,” Yan Que said. “She is in the capital.”

“You still think of everything.”

* * *

“...and that,” Mei Changsu said, “is why they chased you out so quickly – because they definitely suspect, at least, that you are in contact with me.”

He had just finished summing up all the points in which Meng Zhi managed to draw the suspicions of a ghost and a Taoist master to himself.

Meng Zhi shook his head. “This aunt of yours is really not easy to deal with.”

“Did you think that my aunt’s position of Luminous Consort2 second only to the Empress came from just the Lin family’s backing? Or from bearing the oldest royal son?” was Mei Changsu’s arch reply. “Or that she could survive so many years in the Inner Palace as mother of the late Crown Prince just on the Emperor’s love? Or that she was not punished in the Chiyan conspiracy, and the Emperor was going to forgive her despite her origins in the Lin family, and being a _Fangshi_ at that? Even when she committed suicide, she was carried out by mourners. The only reason why Empress Yan could keep her position then was because the Lin and Yan families were on good terms and to maintain a power balance in Court.”

“Mmm...” Meng Zhi hummed in consideration. “So, what do you plan to do?”

“Investigate.” Mei Changsu sucked in a long breath. “Yujin is at the hot springs, I do not yet have a pretext to visit the Yan manor. I can only wait until Jingrui and Yujin come back with Xie Bi first. The problem lies in who else is Aunt going to approach before I can convince her otherwise. Marquis Yan and yourself were unavoidable, but as to who else... Jingyan already knows that my soul is not in the Netherworld, so he probably hopes that I ascended to Heaven or I’m still alive.”

“You cannot just drop in without a reason,” the Grand Commander agreed as he watched Mei Changsu prepare brush and ink and paper again. “What are you doing? Writing to His Highness?”

“I think it is time for old Minister Chen to take a break from his duties. I’m preparing to hand this job over to Prince Yu.”

“Does Prince Yu listen to whatever you say now?” Meng Zhi started. “You can order him to do anything you like?”

“This is not an order, only a piece of advice. Prince Yu must be fuming over the attempted reinstatement, but doesn’t know how to retaliate. It would be good for me to point out this inappropriateness.” A hint of flatness crossed Mei Changsu’s face. “By tomorrow Chen Yuancheng will most likely resign to avoid being branded a criminal.”

* * *

Mei Changsu’s words were like divine mandate, and indeed barely had the dawn broken over Jinling that the resignation of Minister Chen had made waves in the imperial capital. Since the year-end sacrificial rites desperately needed supervision, Assistant Minister Li Qing was quickly promoted in place of this venerable elder of two generations.

This Minister Li was young, having served a stint in the Department of Secret Books before the Marquis Yan had pointedly sent him into the supervision of rites, citing his physical clumsiness as an excuse. The knowledge was there, but one look at the former Assistant Minister Li’s physical slenderness and Minister Chen had had to agree with the Taoist master’s assessment. The sudden retirement of Minister Chen at this critical juncture meant that this young and new official finally had the chance to exercise power without backing either the Crown Prince or Prince Yu.

The saying that ‘the new official lets off three bursts of fire’ was not untrue.3 The new Minister of Rites’ first action was to lobby for the presence of all royal sons on the altar for the rites. Citing the abundance of  _yin_ as the initial reason for the removal of the Inner Palace ladies where even the Empress had to mitigate her participation, the obvious solution was to increase the presence of  _yang_ energy on the premises – and for the Emperor’s security. This last point was made with great emphasis.

Not even the outburst of protest from the Crown Prince about status was enough to detract the new Minister. Brimming with new authority, the Minister Li had rashly replied: “Are you all not sons of the Emperor?” When pointed out the birth status of the princes’ birth mothers, Minister Li continued: “The Empress remains the mother of the imperial children.”

His words were met with some censure from the Emperor, but the point was made: the Crown Prince, Prince Yu, Grand Duke Jing, and the other princes are all more or less equal in birth ranking. The position and honour of the Crown Prince is because he has received the title of the Eastern Palace, and not because of his birth. The title can be conferred, and can be taken away. There is nothing untouchable about the Crown Prince.

With the new year’s arrival, Xiao Jingrui, Yan Yujin and Xie Bi finally returned to the capital from the hot springs. They had just been back for a day when they realised that, although they had only been away one month, the situation in the capital had changed rapidly, and was now even more chaotic than it had been when they left. The greatest shock came, not to Yan Yujin where the source resided in his house in a firewood shed, but to Grand Duke Jing who, even three days after the revelation of the shock, was still in such a listless state that, when he left Court to visit the port with the new Minister of Trade, Shen Zhui, it was worth Shen Zhui remarking upon it.

“Your Highness, it is a cold season. Please take care of yourself.”

“It is alright,” the Grand Duke stared into the distance. “The Marquis and I were banishing ghosts last night. It will pass.”

“Incredible,” Shen Zhui admired.

“Minister Shen has just taken over the Ministry of Trade and must be busy,” the Grand Duke suddenly spoke, “so it is strange that Minister Shen still has time to go out.”

“I have been sorting through the ledgers,” replied Shen Zhui, who did not take the barb personally, “and found some discrepancies in the canal transport records. Since these few days have been declared a holiday, I wanted to take the chance to check the ports.”

“Oh?”

Which was how both men of the Court ended up sitting at a tea stand before the port’s entrance, looking out to the river where boats continually shipped goods across the kingdom to Jinling, where men scurried like ants and goods and people and capital flowed like the very waters themselves.

“Weight may not be related to size,” Shen Zhui began, “but recent cargoes were fresh fruits. According to the type of cargo, it should not be this heavy.”

“Is there a fruit that is so heavy?” Some colour had returned to the Grand Duke’s face as he considered the official transport ships from which the cargoes had come and gone. “Can they really stomach it?”

“Seems like the official cargoes have something to hide these few years,” Shen Zhui plied more tea on the Grand Duke.

“No matter what,” Xiao Jingyan obediently drank, “any past matters of Lou Zijing has something to do with the Eastern Palace. Lord Shen must be careful.”

“Rest assured that I will be most careful.” Shen Zhui remarked. “If I need help, I will ask Your Highness.”

“Good.” Xiao Jingyan looked out to over the river. His eyes widened momentarily. “I will send a guard to your household until the New Year passes.”

“Is one enough?” was Shen Zhui’s sardonic reply.

“One stone lion will be enough to deal with _that.”_

Xiao Jingyan pointed.

Indeed, people were already looking towards the direction where he pointed, muttering in both awe and fear as something bobbed on the water. Shen Zhui thought that his eyes had a problem, but after concentrating, he realised that it really was someone walking on the river – a lady in a gown of pastel blue and white, her face still unclear, and her hair like burnished copper under the winter sunlight, flaring out behind her like flaming wings.

“Dragon King?” someone whispered.

“No, the Dragon King has more... awe.”

“An immortal came to earth?”

“Nothing so convenient...”

“Madame Jiang!”

A blanket of silence muffled the bustling port to the quiet of a ghost town. The lady stopped by the government ship. Bobbing on the water, she then leapt up ten  _zhang_  to alight on the jetty.

“Little Zhao!”

The port foreman, a knotted green bandanna tied around his forehead, turned at the call, and then he promptly fell flat on his face.

“How did you fall? Be careful, the ports are always slippery.”

Zhao leapt to his feet at a speed belying his heavyset body. “Zhao greets Madam Jiang! W- W- May I ask, what wind has blown Madame Jiang to Jinling?”

“Passing the New Year.” the one addressed as Madame Jiang turned around. “You’re doing good business, I see. Fresh fruits?”

“Madame Jiang has a good nose!” the foreman praised. “Then, shall I send a crate over to Thousand Autumns Pavilion, to show filial respect to Elder?”

“How polite!” Madame Jiang laughed. “The one surnamed Lou, he is gone?”

“The one surnamed Lou is indeed gone, Madame.” The port foreman laughed with her. “Have you seen his replacement, Madame? Lord Shen Zhui- ah, no, the one surnamed Shen is a good Minister.”

“Is that so? Did he not just take over?”

“For a big official like him to run down here on a holiday, he’s very diligent! Look, there he is, over there!”

Shen Zhui quailed as sharp eyes shot towards his direction. “Your Highness... are you sure that one is enough?”

“Yes,” Xiao Jingyan assured him. “If not, I will personally act as your door god.”4

“That is very reassuring, Your Highness, but I fear I will not be able to explain to my wife why the Grand Duke is guarding my door...”

“If he is such a good official, I hope he investigates near the north soon,” Madame Jiang continued to complain. “There’s a walled house near my private quarters, and explosions keep happening there at the end of the year!”

“ _Aiyoh_ , that bad?” the port foreman comforted her. “Haven’t you lodged a complaint with the Magistrate?”

“No matter my grievance, will the human officials listen?” Madame Jiang’s tone turned hard. “And you! Have you ever heard of a demon lodging a complaint?!”

“No, not at all... Madame Jiang might be the first at this rate.”

“At least the one surnamed Lou is gone,” Madame Jiang continued. “Because if that house keeps making a ruckus for one more year, I will _visit that house_.”

“Madame Jiang, you cannot say that!” Foreman Zhao panicked immediately. “They haven’t done anything more than make explosions! At the very least you should tell Lord Gao, yes? I will send those fruits over to Thousand Autumns Pavilion, and tonight the Northern Hamlet and Spiral Market Street will celebrate the New Year with you, eh? Cease your anger, being angry does not suit you, this elder...”

Shen Zhui sighed back into his tea as Madame Jiang was persuaded to move off. “Jinling is the demon capital5 nowadays,” he lamented, drawing a confused look.

“I don’t think demons pose much of a problem,” Xiao Jingyan commented. “They’re much more honest.”

“That is only to you, Your Highness,” Shen Zhui shook his head. “You are a _Fangshi_ , and a royal son at that. But, if there is a grievance which has gone undressed...”

A quick command brought the foreman Zhao to Shen Zhui’s table. “Foreman,” Shen Zhui frowned. “Who was that woman walking on the water just now?”

“She is...” the port master was at a loss. “She is Madame Jiang. Before my grandfather’s time she was already here.”

A low whistle came from Shen Zhui. “An old demon. She hasn’t been exorcised by a Taoist?”

“Eh?” Zhao shook his head. “She comes and goes like the wind. Even if we called an expert, Madame Jiang would just leave the capital for a few years until the expert leaves. Plus, she opened Thousand Autumns Pavilion, and she knows medicine. You know Miss Lí who now runs the Pavilion, and Aunt Luo in Spiral Market Street?” He scratched his head. “Ah, no, lords wouldn’t know the three spinsters and six crones6...”

“Everyone has heard of the rules of Spiral Market Street.” Xiao Jingyan interrupted before Shen Zhui could ask further. “Continue. Is Madame Jiang their disciple?”

Foreman Zhao peered around, and leant closer to whisper: “Madame Jiang came _before_ Aunt Luo and Miss Lí. I heard that she even enlightened them into fully-fledged demons first. She taught midwifery and entertainment to Aunt Luo. Miss Lí... I don’t know if you can call what they do medicine...”

“What do they do?” the Grand Duke asked lightly.

“Face-changing surgery,” Foreman Zhao tutted. “Normally, demons who are really ugly, they can’t go around normal people, right? And they don’t know how to change shape. So, Thousand Autumns Pavilion boasts that they can draw a skin, a different one for each customer, each with its own charm, that those demons use as a face to conduct business in Jinling.”

“Face-changing surgery?” the Grand Duke echoed, taking a sudden interest. “Is it demons only?”

The foreman gave a bewildered look. “Master, with your kind of heroic air and smooth features, I don’t think you need it to be able to marry a wife.”

Xiao Jingyan’s ears turned scarlet. “Watch your mouth!”

The foreman quailed in shock. “This one is sorry, sorry...”

“Thousand Autumns Pavilion...” Jingyan narrowed his eyes, stood up and slammed a wad of coins on the table. “Lord Shen, I don’t think I feel well. I must leave you here. Good day.”

“Your Highness must take care of yourself!” Shen Zhui spoke in alarm. “Must be a serious illness...”

* * *

**1 ZH:  瞒天过海 (man tian guo hai) – to achieve one's aim by underhanded means.**

**2 Nirvana in Fire, in the drama, seems to have some elements of the (anachronistic) Tang Inner Palace system of rankings, which seems to comprise of the Empress at the top, followed by the four Imperial Consorts [ 贵妃 (gui fei/noble consort), 淑妃 (shu fei/‘virtuous’ consort), 德妃 (de fei/’moral’ consort), 贤妃 (xian fei/‘worthy/able’ consort)] and then more rankings which include Concubine Jing’s current rank (嫔 _pin_ ). Lin Yueyao’s title of 宸妃 (chen fei) supersedes the standard four rankings, comprising of a character for the Polar Star and the consort title. It is also another anachronism – the first recording of this title was in the _Old Book of Tang_ during the time of Emperor  Gaozong of Tang, who invented it to confer onto Wu Zetian when she was still a second-rank concubine. I elected to translate it as Luminous, but did not add a note until now.**

**3 ZH:  新官上任三把火 (xīn guān shàng rèn sān bǎ huǒ) – the new boss cracks the whip three times. Figuratively used to describe vigorous new policies introduced by bosses soon after receiving a promotion.**

**4 门神 (mén shén) ‘door gods’ are divine guardians of doors and gates in Chinese folk religion.**

**5 ‘demon capital’ ( 魔都) is also the Chinese rendering of Mordor. It is also a nickname for Shanghai.**

**6 ZH:  三姑六婆 (san gu liu po) – old expression which refers to women of disreputable/illegal professions that challenged the notions of Confucian family life and women’s place in the home. The three spinsters are: Buddhist nuns, Taoist priestesses, and fortune-tellers/mediums. The six crones refer to: dental women, matchmakers, female shamans, brothel madams, healing women, and midwives. Concubine Jing would be considered a female physician, and not one of these ‘disreputable’ professions even though the job market for women at that time was seriously limited.**


	22. 甲申: Painting Faces

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mei Changsu’s eyes slid to the gate. He then considered the frame of the gate. This was followed by considering the roofed walls of the gate.
> 
> “Feiliu, can you go over the walls?”
> 
> Feiliu leapt, flying over the walls in a single bound. He then flipped back.
> 
> “Good. Send me over the walls.”
> 
> “Hah?!”

#  甲申: Painting Faces

Before Meng Zhi had left the Su residence last night, he had asked Mei Changsu: “Would you be able to ask Jingyan about this?”

“Jingyan... he must approach me with this matter. I cannot tell him directly, that is the curse I have taken in exchange for a bit more time.”

“That would take him forever, then,” was the Grand Commander’s gloomy words.

The people in the Su residence were thus going about their business as if they were walking on eggshells. Li Gang pushed more braziers and placed an order for more cloth. Aunt Ji in the kitchen placed an order for thread and needles to fix the Chief’s sleeves where a hole had been rubbed in them. Feiliu kept delivering plum blossoms and arranging them in vases. Physician Yan made more prescriptions for sleeping medicine which the Chief failed to take.

“Grand Duke Jing,” Li Gang murmured, “please come quickly...”

“What did you say?”

“Nothing, Chief!” Li Gang coughed. “Erm... Tong Lu is here...”

Tong Lu arrived, saw the Chief’s face, and abruptly wanted to be elsewhere. Mindful of his duty though, he simply knelt in greeting to deliver the news. “Tong Lu greets the Chief.”

“You’ve worked hard, sit down and let us talk.” Mei Changsu waved a hand.

Behind him, Li Gang let out a sigh of relief that a distraction has appeared.

“Have there been new developments in the prison?”

“Yes, sir.” Tong Lu spoke quickly, but clearly. “They have already found a suitable person. Everything was arranged by Minister Qi’s most loyal subordinate, a man called Wu Xiaoyi. The person is now at Wu Xiaoyi’s home, and really does resemble He Wenxin in seven to eight parts, and is only a bit too thin – he is currently being stuffed with wine and good food. He Wenxin has also suffered a bit in the prison, and so he doesn’t look as white and plump as he used to, and when the time comes and his head strikes the ground, I fear they will be able to pull off the trick. The Earl of Wen could never have guessed they could have something like this up their sleeve, and besides he has never been very familiar with He Wenxin, so even if he came to the execution in person, he would not be able to see through the deception.”

“ _Ngh_ ,” Mei Changsu murmured. “Keep a very close eye on that Wu Xiaoyi, the family of the substitute, and the guards in the jail, but make sure we are not noticed. After He Wenxin has been rescued, he will be immediately escorted out of the capital. When that happens, you must not lose his trail under any circumstances, no matter what.”

“Yes!”

“Previous cases of the Ministry of Justice secretly substituting prisoners on death sentence before their execution – how many have you found?”

“We have found seven cases with witnesses and evidence.”

“Keep working hard, we must obtain the most crucial witnesses.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Tell Gong Yu to pay attention to Qin Banruo. Do not let her realise that we are investigating these old cases.”

“Yes, sir.”

After saying all this, Mei Changsu felt his gaze darken, and hurriedly closed his eyes for a brief rest.

“Chief...” Tong Lu whispered, “Should I call for Physician Yan?”

“No need. Physician Yan would only give me more medicine.” Mei Changsu smiled, “It’s alright. Does Mister Thirteen have anything else to tell me?”

“There is news from the Green Helms of the Canals and the Walkers Sect.” Tong Lu fidgeted. “In the past few months, gunpowder has been making its way into the capital smuggled amidst other goods, delivered through various routes and by different businesses. Although the amount is small each time, put together, there is already around two hundred _jin_. 1

“A large quantity of gunpowder?” Mei Changsu’s eyebrows rose. “Is there any connection to the Jiangnan Thunderbolt Office?”

“We traced it to a walled courtyard by the city’s north gate, and it is an illegal fireworks factory.” Tong Lu pondered for a moment. “The new Minister of Trade, Lord Shen Zhui, has also started to investigate this matter.”

“Hand everything you’ve learnt about the illegal fireworks factory to Lord Shen Zhui,” was Mei Changsu’s response.

“And...” Tong Lu swallowed. “Madame Jiang came back to Jinling via the river ports today.”

“A demon can ride a boat, of course.”

“She was walking on the water.”

“...” Mei Changsu sighed. “Continue, Tong Lu.”

“Brother Zhao in the Green Helms told me that she complained about the fireworks factory in earshot of Lord Shen... and the Grand Duke Jing...”

“The Grand Duke?” Mei Changsu echoed. “How is the Grand Duke?”

“He... didn’t look very well...” Tong Lu swallowed. “He looks ill... another Green Helm brother heard His Highness tell Lord Shen that he was hunting ghosts with the Marquis Yan last night. Brother Zhao said that His Highness seemed very interested in Madame Jiang, especially in her face-changing skills... such a handsome man shouldn’t need to worry about his face.”

“His Highness has nothing to worry about with regards to his visage,” Mei Changsu practically vibrated in his seat. “Face-changing... anything else?

“Gong Yu... said that His Highness went to Thousand Autumns Pavilion and stayed for three hours... he was very discreet, and used the ghost roads, if Gong Yu wasn’t directly trailing him we wouldn’t have known...”

“Is there anything else?” The demand came short and sharp.

“Ah, no.”

“Send Gong Yu to discreetly ask about what the Grand Duke Jing was doing there, and make sure that no one else realises that he went to such a place. Be vigilant in your investigation, but do not be overly worried either.”

“Yes sir.”

Mei Changsu couldn’t help smiling. “Have a good New Year then.”

“Have a good New Year too, Chief,” Tong Lu bowed.

“Send Physician Yan in after you.”

Mei Changsu waited for the physician to appear, bearing another bowl of medicine, before he asked lightly, “is there such a thing as face-changing?”

“Drink.”

“Physician Yan, only you can answer this question.”

“Drink this first.” The rabbit physician waited until the bowl was empty, and then replied: “You’re not talking about theatre, right?”

“No, I mean actual medical procedures to change faces.”

“Demons and gods can usually change shape to some degree of accuracy. Some demons, for more accuracy, use the Painted Skin art, which lets them draw the five sensory organs in the shape and configuration of their choice on a skin, to wear as their face,” Physician Yan elaborated. “That is, if we are talking about matter of ghosts and gods only. For humans, the art of facial reconstruction surgery was lost with Hua Tuo.”

“Hmm...” Mei Changsu hummed. “Yesterday Madame Jiang came back to Jinling.”

“The Clam who Hides Books?” Physician Yan frowned. “Then...”

“Then?”

“The human histories claim that Hua Tuo was imprisoned by Cao Cao,” Physician Yan considered. “It was said that he wrote down his medical techniques while awaiting execution. When Hua Tuo was about to be executed he brought out a scroll with writing on it and handed it over to the jailer, saying, ‘this can preserve people's lives’.”

“The  _Green Bag Book_ ,” Mei Changsu recalled. “The  _Records of the Three Kingdoms_ does state this. Fearing from the law, the jailer did not accept it, nor did Hua Tuo force him, instead choosing to burn it.”

“The Clam who Hides Books was working under old Cao at that time,” Physician Yan scowled. “They live for this sort of knowledge preservation. It would be completely within character to have stolen it before it was burnt.”

“So, Madame Jiang stole the complete medical knowledge of the divine doctor whom the human world called the god of surgery,” Mei Changsu guessed. “And it could include facial reconstruction surgery for humans.”

“If you’re looking for such a surgeon, your body won’t hold up with such a surgery,” Physician Yan cautioned.

“I’m not looking for such a surgery,” Mei Changsu rebutted. “But His Highness probably thinks that someone he knew had undergone such a surgery before.”

Mei Changsu would let the Ministry of Appointments and the Ministry of Justice enjoy their new year. When the Spring Execution came around, the show would really begin. He only hoped that when the time came, his body would be able to act.

For now, he had to redirect a stubborn bull.

“Prepare my carriage! I want to go out!”

After the time taken to drink a cup of tea, Mei Changsu was still stuck on the steps between the courtyards of his residence and the main gate, trying to get past the gate-holder.

“Physician Yan, I really have an urgent matter and I need to go out,” he hissed in frustration. “See how warmly dressed I am. Also, Feiliu and Li Gang will be coming with me. You can relax! Look, the snow has stopped, I’m sure it’ll be alright.”

“I decide when it’s alright! You just recovered from coughing your lungs out!” the physician’s ears were twitching in anger. “You might only be having a cold, but your body’s tolerance is much lower than normal people! If you came back lying down, this... isn’t this going to destroy my signboard?”

“Ah, then, Physician Yan, how about this?” Mei Changsu quickly negotiated. “If you let me go out today, I will follow all your instructions when I return.”

“No! I mean it!” From inside his robes, the old-looking man pulled out a pestle of white and pointed it behind his back, muttering something. “Hmph!”

Then the physician hid the pestle back into his robes walked away.

Mei Changsu gave the door a look. Then his head swivelled to Feiliu. “Feiliu... what do you think Physician Yan did?”

“Mmm... ah!” Feiliu had walked forward, only to run into an invisible barrier.

“Chief, the carriage is...” Li Gang walked through the gate, only to see Feiliu miming out a pantomime. “What’s going on?”

“Physician Yan sealed the door,” Mei Changsu tutted. “Looks like Guanghan Palace’s reputation doesn’t come empty-handed.”

“Then... what should we do?” Li Gang fretted.

Mei Changsu’s eyes slid to the gate. He then considered the frame of the gate. This was followed by considering the roofed walls of the gate.

“Feiliu, can you go over the walls?”

Feiliu leapt, flying over the walls in a single bound. He then flipped back.

“Good. Send me over the walls.”

“Hah?!”

* * *

Spiral Market Street, though bustling, was still one of the most watched areas of the city, being the type of place where scams and blackmail was conducted for a daily living to the unwary. Thousand Autumns Pavilion stood side-by-side to other shophouses, but people still managed to find their way there through a series of alleys and warrens which changed locations at any random moment. Thousand Autumns Pavilion was a monument – entering the monument, or tracking people who intended to enter, needed some force like magic, luck or fate to overcome the feeling of just being lost if the Pavilion did not wish to entertain you.

A tower created by the clam’s breath2, they called it. Jiang Beike’s mirage.

Xiao Jingyan stepped over the threshold of the shop front.

“This commoner Lí greets Your Highness Grand Duke Jing,” Miss Lí came out from behind the counter. “Have you come with regards to yesterday’s question?”

“Payment.” Jingyan held out a bag, waiting until was accepted and a sharp breath was drawn. “Is this enough?”

“Our boss does not do unfair business.”

“I want to ask one more question.” Xiao Jingyan’s fist hit the counter. “Did the person of that description come to any of you or your boss to change his face? If not, then how do I tell if someone has undergone facial changes?”

Miss Lí hefted the bag, and then pulled out a set of scales – one side with a weighing pan, one side with a standard weight, and an off-centre fulcrum. Holding the scale by its fulcrum, the beam teetered on a knife’s edge as her other hand upended the bag. A gold sycee ingot plonked onto the brass pan, and then the beam swung and teetered before Miss Lí adjusted the weight to one of sixteen evenly spaced stars on the beam.

Checking the weight, Miss Lí hummed. “Payment accepted. Ba-ge.”

Another male servant appeared.

“Escort His Highness into the tea room.”

The tea room was on the second floor of the Pavilion, and overlooked the back courtyard of Thousand Autumns Pavilion with its elegance and bamboo canopy. Light streamed in despite the warmth of the room. A brazier over which an iron teapot hung crackled with charcoal burnt to a glowing red, and next to it a table stood with a teapot and cups of celadon, and a plate of mandarins.

“Beike greets Your Highness the Grand Duke Jing.” the Madame Jiang rose in greeting. This time had changed her hair to blacker than ink and hanging in a simple hairdo behind her head. The supernatural glint of her eyes, though, was still a reminder that this face was only a mask.

“Thank you, Madame Jiang.” The Grand Duke settled himself. “Then, my questions.”

“There is a Heaven above Heaven,” Madame Jiang tutted, already starting to brew a fresh pot of tea in direct view of the Grand Duke. “Even if he didn’t come to our Pavilion, he could find anyone else to do the surgery. Not to mention, there are certainly any number of strange solutions for his particular problem. Before that, there is something else that Your Highness needs to know.”

“Give me water instead. I do not appreciate tea.” The Grand Duke quickly said. “What do I need to know?”

“Very well.” Madame Jiang sighed as she picked up the iron kettle and poured steaming water for the Grand Duke. “Trust is the foundation of business. The first question I can answer very easily. As for the second question, you need to have some elaboration, otherwise you will ruin my trade.”

“How can I tell if humans have undergone facial surgery,” the Grand Duke immediately corrected. “Strange things have many faces, but humans are born of flesh and earth.”

“The boundary between strange things and human things might not be so easy to consider,” was her arch response. “But since you ask about these things... with luck and superior technique, human face-changing can be made virtually indistinguishable. The best way is if you already have a bit of the person that you’re looking for in question. Hair, saliva, blood, flesh, bone... you have that, you bring a piece of the person whom you’re suspecting, we see if we can determine that they come from the same person. You can change your form,” Jiang Beike elaborated, “but you cannot change your substance.”

Xiao Jingyan’s eyes flickered away. “I... don’t have anything.”

“If it is like this, then you can only watch the people around you.” Her expression was guileless as she got up to walk towards the door. “Which one of them recently entered your life. Which one of them are pushing you towards interesting new choices. Which one of them, as we are speaking, are coming right up-”

She wrenched the door open, allowing a figure in white to fall through.

“-now. Ba-ge, did you need to push him through the door?”

“Sorry, Madame!” A chirp came through the door. “This one just charged up and started giving thinly veiled threats about Langya Hall.”

“No manners is fine, but why did old man Lin make such a sickly _Shijie_? Little Lin wasn’t lying, I see.” Madame Jiang hauled him to his feet. “What’s your name?”

“S- Su Zhe.”

“I wasn’t talking about your sudden decision to change your name.”

“Mei Changsu of the River Left Alliance greets the master of Jiyue Hall, Madame Jiang Beike!”

“Spoken well! Drink some tea.”

Madame Jiang easily shoved the pale-looking scholar next to the brazier. “Your Highness, this is the first time that I’ve seen a strategist with the willingness to step into a demon lair for someone else’s sake. Even if he does look seven parts like a ghost.”

“...” Xiao Jingyan looked like the events of the past few moments had just smacked him silly. “...he’s not a ghost?”

“...”

The brazier crackled.

Water hissed, steam floated.

Tea-ware clinked as another round of tea was poured.

Outside, a breeze ruffled the slender leaves of the bamboo garden that the room overlooked.

Mei Changsu resolutely drank from the teacup offered to him.

“...Your Highness,” Mei Changsu croaked once he set the cup back down. “You cannot be seen in such a place at this juncture. No matter what you have realised, if you are fixed on the path to the throne, you cannot come to a known demon lair to demand answers like this! What will people see you as?”

“He is still alive.” Xiao Jingyan whispered. “Yesterday I met the ghost of Consort Chen, and she told me-” His mouth seized. “No...”

“Your Highness, you may keep your secrets,” Mei Changsu pleaded, “but these kinds of things- these matters regarding the strange have no concern for worldly affairs.”

“I cannot tell you these kinds of things.”

“Why?”

“Because I do not trust you,” Xiao Jingyan bluntly answered.

“You trusted me with Tingsheng’s matter.”

“Tingsheng’s matter and this matter are two different things.”

“Both are matters which concern Your Highness!”

Jiang Beike tutted, drawing their attention to her instead. “For the hero of Great Liang and the Divine Talent to have come to my pavilion is a rare honour, to come only once in a thousand years. For the pair of them before me would actually play Liu Xuande and Zhuge Kongming, I fear that even if I told this story, nobody would believe me.”

A sigh was placed here. “I have answered both questions that Your Highness paid for. However, since Your Highness has some dissatisfaction with our answer, I cannot ruin the reputation of my pavilion, much less Jiyue Hall.”

Her tragic expression rendered the situation so farcical that it was worth seeing.

“How about, the two of you use this chance to mediate your relationship? One as a lord, and one as a strategist.” Her face was so expressive, it seemed hard to judge that it was actually a mask for the demon that was Jiang Beike. “Trust is the foundation of business, and many other relationships besides.”

“...From what Su thinks, Madame Jiang does not intend to release us so easily,” Mei Changsu spoke at last. “And, because this Thousand Autumns Pavilion is under your protection, we can rest assured of not being found out.”

“Is there no other solution?” Xiao Jingyan rhetorically posed. “I only came for the answers to two questions.”

“Your Highness, we have entered Madame’s domain. If she strands us in the Netherworld, we would really have nowhere to go but Below.” Mei Changsu gave a cold glare towards the Madame. “Then, where does Madame want us to start?”

“Trust is like a bamboo shoot,” she reflected. “It needs something to feed on to grow. It cannot grow in the shade of secrets. Look at mine,” she pointed out.

Both of them looked, only to scowl when there was silence, and when their heads turned back, she had already disappeared.

“...” Xiao Jingyan immediately got up to wrench open the room door again, only to reveal a corridor so long that its end was nowhere in sight, belying the exact dimensions of the Thousand Autumns Pavilion.

“Looks like,” said Mei Changsu, “she really intends to leave us here together until we figure something out.”

* * *

**1 Approximately 120 kilograms, since 1 jin = around 0.6 kg.**

**2 The characters for ‘mirage’ that I had in mind was  蜃景 (shèn jing) and 海市蜃楼 (hǎi shì shèn lóu). A shèn is a mythological clam monster said to create mirages by breathing out. Those mirages are supposed to be the entrance to the Dragon King’s Palace at the bottom of the sea.**


	23. 乙酉: Under the Banner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Even if there is business to be done, this king does not appreciate little pranks which they play,” Xiao Jingyan crouched in on himself. “Take the example of Lan Ke. Having finished spectating a game of Weiqi between Immortals, he fell asleep and awoke, only to realise that his axe-handle had rotted, his horse turned into a skeleton, and no one remembered him. A hundred years for a game of chess...”
> 
> “I heard a different story,” Mei Changsu mused, “where the youth Yan Chao served the gods of the Northern and Southern Dipper meat and wine during their game of Go, and thus extended his lifetime by eighty years. Alas, fate did not favour me with an audience with the director of lifespans.”
> 
> “Sir Su has spoken too heavily on the subject.”
> 
> Lord and subject laughed at this joke, before they considered the Weiqi board, with its nineteen by nineteen grid.

#  乙酉: Under the Banner

“Your Highness, I have prepared the greeting presents for Madame Jiang. Please take a look at the list.”

Prince Yu just blinked at the proffered list, and then he asked the one holding the list: “Banruo... this is a lot of presents. Madame Jiang is still a woman, and a disreputable one. This list of presents...”

“Banruo’s late teacher always cautioned that a favour from Madame Jiang is worth several cities.” Qin Banruo lowered her eyes. “Has Your Highness heard of the phrase ‘speak of Cao Cao, and Cao Cao appears’?”1

“Yes...” Prince Yu’s eyes widened. “You mean...”

“Madame Jiang was masquerading as a male officer due to her expertise in transformation, and served in the Xudu court to Cao Cao in much the same capacity that Banruo currently does for Your Highness,” Qin Banruo elaborated. “Her temper is strange, but...”

“But putting up with that strange temper would gain supernatural allies, turning the tide fully around. Even if she ignores us, we should at least make the attempt, otherwise we will make a terrible enemy.” Prince Yu thoughtfully considered the list again. “Should we send more presents?”

* * *

Since it was still winter, Mei Changsu and Xiao Jingyan faced each other across the table with barely any notion of time, its passage thereof, and the course of events in the outside world.

“...I do not trust you,” Xiao Jingyan considered. “And I do not wish to be forced to trust you either.”

“I do not need Your Highness to trust me too much either.” Mei Changsu considered. “These kinds of games I have every intention of getting us out.”

“But this is not an option either,” Xiao Jingyan picked up a delicate celadon teacup to examine. “This year’s celadon, for the New Year, along with oranges from Lingnan. Looks like she really intends to leave us here. That pugilist dandy...”

“Excuse me?”

“Someone at Langya Hall must have paid her off to distract me,” Mei Changsu maliciously pushed the blame onto Lin Chen. “Last time it was the _Qilin_ prodigy, and then with the Magpie Bridge.”

“Langya Hall has business with the Netherworld?” Jingyan severely said.

“Not at all, more like...” Mei Changsu pointed up.

“I see. So Langya Hall and Madame Jiang are... partners?”

“I am not certain of that,” was Mei Changsu’s reply. “Not even the Tianji Hall allied with our Alliance could determine that. But, how did Your Highness find out about Madame Jiang?”

“I was with Lord Shen yesterday at the river port when we spotted her walking over the water,” Jingyan’s tone was remarkably flat despite the contents of his reply. “She complained to the river master in front of Lord Shen and I about an illegal fireworks factory in the northern part of the city. The people behind the fireworks factory are indeed unlucky, to have built their factory in front of a demon’s house...”

“Looks like the saying that fireworks can scare demons away does work,” Mei Changsu filed that away for consideration. “Your Highness is very familiar with... strange matters.”

“Sir Su must have more experience in such matters than this king,” Xiao Jingyan replied. “I have spent years at the border, where the mountains are high and the emperor is far away. Demon clans are always troublesome to negotiate. Beating demons, talking to demons, sharing wine with demons. At least those demons are honest about what they are – they eat people, but that is a matter of species preference.”

“Does Your Highness regret staying in this world and messing with worldly affairs?”

“I cannot,” Xiao Jingyan reflected. “The blood in my veins still run hot, and my heart still cares for my mother alone in the Palace, my soldiers and my horses, and Tingsheng... I will regret it forever if I could not do my best by them. I am sorry... I should not talk about family before you.”

“My Alliance is my family now,” Mei Changsu gritted his teeth. “Your Highness does not believe me because you do not know my background, where I came from, or my aims. As for me, most of our interactions so far has been with myself at the advantage, and the first time I tried to do you a favour, you ended up going into battle unprepared.”

“You are of the pugilist world,” Xiao Jingyan stated. “Did you not know of demons?”

“Demons and pugilists in the pugilist world are like well water and river water which does not mix,” Mei Changsu simply replied. “It is certainly very different from this demon city that is Jinling. And, we had good priests. Demons in the pugilist world... are dealt with directly.”

“Sir Su has made excellent preparations,” Jingyan tonelessly commented. “For most matters.”

“That Your Highness had to fight-”

“I’ve been fighting ever since I had the talent,” Xiao Jingyan dismissed. “Eldest Brother also been fighting, but... it was fortunate that another could be spared.”

“Your Highness surprises me,” Mei Changsu held back his first reaction ever since he discovered the existence of _Fangshi_ and magic, which was something along the lines of launching a rebellion on the behalf of all _Fangshi_ , especially royal ones. “I have long heard of Your Highness’ valour on the battlefield, but to have it cultivated at such a young age...”

* * *

Young Lin Shu had just been dazzled by the very flames that Jingyan conjured as easily as breathing. Behind the flames, he had never really considered what the late nights, lessons with Marquis Yan, and fear of the dark really meant.

When the Jing imperial residence was first created, Lin Shu had even praised the stone lions which had been a house-warming presence from the Marquis. “Why did he send you these two?”

“Foya and Fozhua are twin guardian lions,” a young Jingyan had said. “ _Fangshi_ only lack a bit of cultivation compared to the Taoist masters, so demons find us easy prey.”

“Easy prey... the Palace doesn’t have any stone lions, though?”

“The Royal Palace has the imperial presence.” Jingyan laughed. “Imperial Father gave me permission to set up a household outside the Palace, but... I have to rely on Foya and Fozhua to guard the manor from demons and evil spirits.”

“Foya, Fozhua... one male and one female? If they have a child, then call the cub Foyan!”2

* * *

“...Sir seems to have lost his spirit.”

“Ah?” Mei Changsu woke up from his reminiscence. “No... I was thinking, for Your Highness to leap unprepared into a demon’s lair is tantamount to suicide.”

“I was always thinking that Sir Su was unacquainted with this side of the world,” Xiao Jingyan said after a long moment of silence. “It looks like I was right.”

“You do not need people from the otherworld,” Mei Changsu reasoned. “In the royal family, in strange matters you have the strongest backing. But that in itself works against you, because the Emperor does not miss out on the possibility of a rebellion coming from you. This is your main problem in the fight for the throne.”

“I am part of both worlds,” Xiao Jingyan contemplated. “But I think I prefer the otherworld. At least people are what they are – they will not act contrary to their nature.”

“Your problems lie in this world, and it is in this world that you must fight in, Your Highness,” Mei Changsu was beginning to realise that, if there were three worlds, then it was always possible for humans to escape thinking about mundane problems that desperately needed tackling. The next mountain always looked taller3, but this mountain could not be abandoned. “Your Highness... do you not trust me because I am always thinking about this world?”

Xiao Jingyan flushed. “Of course not! I have spent years on the battlefield, and you are a strategist... it is not a problem of understanding.”

“Then it is still a problem of trust,” Mei Changsu reasoned. “That is, I hold too many of Your Highness’ secrets to be easily trusted. I think many demons also face the same situation – without a background or an easily confirmed nature, it is easy to fear the strange.”

“You are a human,” Xiao Jingyan stated. “For humans, you can know them for a long time without understanding their true nature.4 Where Sir Su came from is unimportant – what I could not grasp, and thus I could not trust... was your nature.”

Mei Changsu relaxed. “Because Your Highness has lived so far from normal people?”

“...I do not know either.”

The candlelight flickered. Mei Changsu sighed, considering his options. “Do you think that, since we have talked things out, that we can finally leave?”

“I do not know,” Xiao Jingyan inhaled. “This room is so warm, though, that it is hard to believe it is currently winter.”

“Su does not dare to make too many guesses.” Mei Changsu demurred, standing up. “Trying, though, cannot be too much trouble.”

“Sir Su has the determination to see things through.” Xiao Jingyan joked.

“Su does not know too much on the nature of strange matters, so I will have to beg Your Highness to grant Su a lesson on magic.”

“Doesn’t Sir Su know the knowledge of Heaven and the reason of Earth?” Xiao Jingyan remarked.

“Su has never considered the road of cultivation...”

“A  _Shijiexian_  serves the Netherworld, no?”

Mei Changsu’s throat constricted, and his grip of his sleeve between thumb and forefinger tightened.

Considering Mei Changsu, Xiao Jingyan did not have much change in his expression, but there was a hint of triumph. “To be able to fake your death, discard your birth name, and move away from your family and friends in order to be able to live a little longer... I do not believe it is worth a life filled with illness either. But it is the goal of all living things – to survive.”

Mei Changsu relaxed. “I await the lesson.”

“Madame Jiang is a demon classified as a _shèn_ , a type of sea-dragon.” Xiao Jingyan reported with military promptness. “The natural ability of the _shèn_ is to create mirages with its breath. These mirages are barriers which isolate a portion of the world in an illusion so complete as to render it a completely different world, which can be entered from any point in the human world, and from this isolated world obtain egress to any point in the human world. The Meilin Hall under Marquis Yan calls this phenomenon The ‘Clam Building in the Sea City’ – the ability to create a domain which is completely under the caster’s control. There is nothing impossible to create within – there are only things which you have yet to consider.”

Mei Changsu tutted. “With such an ability, Madame Jiang could make a kingdom for herself.”

“However powerful it was, there are still very serious drawbacks,” Xiao Jingyan shook his head. “It is impossible for a single entity to expand it beyond a certain size – approximately a stable is the limit. Beyond that size, there must be a control tool lying around, which must be in play to maintain this world.”

The pair exchanged looks, and then immediately walked through the door. Whether it be human error or simply some act of bizarrely malevolent architecture, they passed from the second floor to the first with little remark, and found themselves in the bamboo garden in a single step. Another step brought them into the winding garden path, surrounded by tall bamboo stems draped with snow and green leaves.

“This is definitely a bizarre place,” Mei Changsu said as he followed the Grand Duke Jing and the world did not seem to fold in on itself to move him over a wider distance than one step was supposed to pass. “No wonder Aunt Luo and Miss Lí can command so much respect.”

“It’s reversed,” Xiao Jingyan clarified as they kept walking through the moonlit garden. “It should be, no wonder Madame Jiang can command demons as powerful as Miss Lí and Aunt Luo. Once the disciple learns, the teacher starves. If she can afford to take in students who would compete with her for the rest of her long life, her tricks must not be limited to these. Does Sir Su feel challenged?”

“Were Madame Jiang an enemy, then there is cause to fear,” Mei Changsu observed, trying to spot landmarks amidst the sticks of bamboo stretching far into the snow-laden distance. “She is neither enemy nor ally. Things like Madame Jiang can only be judged as natural disasters – to be weathered, and feared, and then the consequences to be cleaned up. Is that not the stance of the Ministry of Justice?”

A snort drew Mei Changsu’s attention as they walked through the bamboo garden which stretched into the distance – a strange turn, either of human perspective or simply space itself making things harder for them. “Your Highness does not agree?”

“That is an interesting problem,” Xiao Jingyan reflected. “The current outlook is, all the lands under Heaven are the Emperor’s, and all the people under Heaven are his subjects. Why are demons then not punished as subjects, but let go as simply an act of nature? Is it just because the current Court cannot police them? Marquis Yan and this king are also the ones pitted against demons who committed grievous sins against the Court. The demons of Jinling still seem to obey the law, however they understand it. Does Sir Su understand my dichotomy?”

Mei Changsu considered those words. “So, on one hand, we do not give demons the recognition and benefits that they rightfully deserve as subjects because they are closer to nature than to society. However, we punish demons as if they are subjects anyway.”

“I brought up this matter with Assistant Minister Cai at the Ministry of Justice,” Xiao Jingyan shook his head in derision. “His reaction was the same as yours – elated, but reluctant.”

“This subject is worth consideration, but it will also have an impact on the position of the current Emperor, the place of the Heavenly courts, the Jade Emperor...”

Mei Changsu shivered as the north wind blew into his face and snuck arrows through the folds of his cloak. “Putting aside the classic example of the Shang dynasty, look at today’s Ye Qin – their royal family disobeyed the yearly sacrifices and distributed the offerings, and met plague after drought after flood, until they can only secede to Great Liang for the survival of their people. I have heard of their ambassador to Great Liang’s visit – for a representative of a self-governing state to be like this is awful.”

The path led them directly to a clearing where an eight-sided pavilion had been erected, lanterns which glowed a gentle blue-white hanging from its eaves. A free-standing Weiqi board with legs dominated the centre, with two covered bowls atop it. Another pair of tables were set next to seating cushions.

“...” Mei Changsu squinted at the pavilion. He then looked back, where miles of bamboo stretched with no end in sight. He looked to the path ahead, drenched with snow and more bamboo stretching into the night in the distance. “The courtyard must be comparable to the Royal Palace garden... how long more must we walk...?”

“The Clam Building in the Sea City,” Xiao Jingyan scowled. “We must have been walking in circles about. Sir Su must be tired, we should take a break in this pavilion.”

“Su cannot hold back Your Highness from getting out of here...!”

“In the middle of this cold, Sir Su must take more care. As you’re so sick, why did you trouble yourself to personally receive me...?” Xiao Jingyan walked in, leaving no choice for Mei Changsu but to enter the pavilion, gasping as warm air hit him in the face.

“How...?”

“Magic.” Xiao Jingyan settled himself on one cushion. “Pray Sir Su be seated. The Marquis Yan is set to retrieve me if I did not return to my residence after four hours.”

“F- Four hours...?” Mei Changsu shivered, still enjoying the warm air isolated beneath the bamboo roof and viridian lights of the pavilion. “Your Highness took every precaution prior to jumping into this lair.”

“Even if there is business to be done, this king does not appreciate little pranks which they play,” Xiao Jingyan crouched in on himself. “Take the example of Lan Ke. Having finished spectating a game of Weiqi between Immortals, he fell asleep and awoke, only to realise that his axe-handle had rotted, his horse turned into a skeleton, and no one remembered him. A hundred years for a game of chess...”

“I heard a different story,” Mei Changsu mused, “where the youth Yan Chao served the gods of the Northern and Southern Dipper meat and wine during their game of Go, and thus extended his lifetime by eighty years. Alas, fate did not favour me with an audience with the director of lifespans.”

“Sir Su has spoken too heavily on the subject.”

Lord and subject laughed at this joke, before they considered the Weiqi board, with its nineteen by nineteen grid.

“Your Highness...”

“We have walked for so long, and only met this warm pavilion and this Weiqi board. Obviously the Madame is challenging us,” Xiao Jingyan scowled, glaring at the board, before opening one bowl to examine the black stones within. “Don’t tell me... that we’re supposed to play Weiqi here?”

Mei Changsu had opened the other bowl, and was now looking at a white stone turned cerulean in the blue light. “These are neither mutton-fat jade, nor are they _Yunzi_ stones from Yunnan. With this shape...”

“If we end up like that woodcutter at Mt. Lan Ke, at least we won’t have to worry about the fight for the succession,” was Xiao Jingyan’s gloomy assessment. “By that time the Emperor would have already been decided.”

“I will do my best to get Your Highness out of here, at least,” Mei Changsu quickly assured. “Black begins the game, yes?”

Xiao Jingyan took out one stone, placed between his index and middle finger. “Then... if you please.”

“Please.”

* * *

The echo of the stone being placed upon wood shattered the silence. Both men froze. The wind howled outside the pavilion.

Mei Changsu took out a stone and set it down at his chosen spot, again with an alarming echo which belied the delicacy of his hands. “Is there something wrong with this board...?”

After making his own move, Xiao Jingyan rapped his knuckles on the sides of the board, before his hand paused to trace the mother-of-pearl inlay. “Square recesses within the wood. This table-board was made like this, to make the sound echo.”

“It must be quite an experience to play on this board in the middle of this forest,” Mei Changsu commented, taking out another stone. He tried to set it down carefully, but the _thunk_ it made still resounded about the bamboo forest, shrouded in mist...

Xiao Jingyan’s third move happened as the dawn broke, and the forbidding depths turned verdant and lush and surrounded by grasses on all sides. “Sir Su? Sir Su, it’s your turn.”

“This- Your Highness...”

“Sir Su. I am not the Lord of the Northern Dipper. Neither are you Lord of the Southern Dipper. We are both mortals with limited lifespans, and cannot afford to cling onto secular affairs now.”

Mei Changsu duly played along. Ignoring most of the weather changes in the comfort of the isolating pavilion was simple – it was when the scenery itself changed from bamboo to a forest of apricot trees to flowering peonies by the side of a river that was more distracting. Mountains grew where forests had stood, cities were levelled in the play of a single stone to seize key points of the board.

“So this magic treasure must have been used to control this...” Mei Changsu could not help but peek in awe, when he was not considering the next move to make in keeping up against Xiao Jingyan gaining territory.

“Barrier. It’s an isolated space.” With one stone Xiao Jingyan seized one half of the board. Sweat beaded down his forehead as outside the pavilion as outside it, cicadas began to chirp in the midsummer heat that neither of them felt. “My side of the board is the southern side respective to us. When that kalpa5 happened here-” he indicated the corner at Mei Changsu’s left hand “-we lost the north-east corner.”

“...so, this pavilion is at the origin of heaven?” Mei Changsu guessed, looking to the centre of the board.

“That might not be confirmed. If everything moved, can this pavilion really be called the centre?” Xiao Jingyan considered the board, watching as Mei Changsu played a jump which caused the floor to lurch. “The pavilion moved...!”

“If our moves do indeed make a corresponding change... then we need to figure out what changes in order to make a door out,” Mei Changsu was much calmer now that the problem had an approach to work with. “Will Your Highness trust Su’s skills in the encirclement game then?”

“You haven’t extended much influence so far,” was the frank reply he received. “How are you supposed to win the game?”

Black and white were beginning to encroach on each other now. “We just need one of us to win, no?”

“No, not at all!” Xiao Jingyan played, and this time to he scenery about them painted the air black as it slid into darkness and flashes of fire, complete with the stench of blood in the wind. “We will get out of here, Sir Su!”

Mei Changsu accidentally dropped a stone, but he was unable to take it back. As the stone fell with a _clack_ , so did the screams of a few men in the distance.

“We will not end up like Lan Ke!” Xiao Jingyan placed one black stone, and thus the battlefield erupted into a sea of fire from which he shielded his eyes. “Don’t you have your Alliance to protect? If I manage to get out, how will I be able to face my men when I keep thinking about the one I could not save?!”

“...” Mei Changsu shivered, dropping another stone which now blew the stench of coppery blood into his face. “Your Highness... my family are all dead. But Your Highness still has people to care about and to care for. Concubine Jing... Tingsheng. The Chiyan Army places its hope on you to survive and get out of here. Even if this game requires a hundred years to be traded in, Su will pay the price.”

So saying, Mei Changsu’s play led the battlefield to change back to a bamboo forest.

* * *

The lights over the pavilion burned blue, bright in the darkness. From the shadows, a gong resounded: “Third watch! Be careful of fire!”

“The night watchman!” The two men exclaimed together, looking back to the board to try and calculate their moves and find the hand which had brought about a miracle.

“...‘returning to origin’,” Mei Changsu peered at his last cluster of stones. “The transposition here led us back.”

“Divergent paths though the pair of us may walk,” Xiao Jingyan realised. “Yet, the destination ends up the same. You... are an old member of the Prince Qi’s house? How else do you...”

A gong rang again – the night watchman called.

“Good evening, Your Highness, Sir Su.” The counter clerk walked into the pavilion, regarding the men without a change in his demeanour and without surprise at their appearance. “This one before you is Ba-ge, Miss Lí’s disciple, and a staff member of the Thousand Autumns Pavilion. Madame Jiang, our grandmaster, has told me to open the door once a negotiation, however temporary, is reached.”

“...This king does not appreciate being forced to remain,” Xiao Jingyan spoke back in irritation. “Who knows how much time was spent wasted here.”

“Certainly much less than a hundred years was spent on this game,” Ba-ge agreed. “I suppose though, that with the right company, a hundred years spent on a single game might pass like a brief moment.”

“Then Sir Su has been far more agreeable company than anyone from your Pavilion.”

Ba-ge only smiled in reply to the censure. “Since it is still a cold and bitter night, this one will send you directly to your doorsteps.”

The anger slid off of Xiao Jingyan’s face, and Mei Changsu openly blanched.

“You can do that? Wait, no, the lead-up to that game already gave me a headache, and the game was worse-”

* * *

**1 ZH:  说曹操，曹操到 (shuō Cáo Cāo, Cáo Cāo dào) – modern Chinese equivalent of ‘speak of the Devil’.**

**2 The claws, teeth, and eyes of the Chinese lion represent power. Foya ( 佛牙) and Fozhua (佛爪) represent Buddha’s teeth and claws respectively, so Foyan (佛眼) ‘Buddha eye’ would follow the trend.**

**3 ZH:  这山望着那山高 (zhè shān wàng zhe nà shān gāo) – Chinese equivalent of ‘the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence’.**

**4 ZH:  知人知面不知心 (zhī rén zhī miàn bù zhī xīn)**

**5 ‘kalpa’ is Chinese Weiqi parlance for the situation called a kô fight. One rule of Weiqi is that ‘one may not play in such a way as to recreate the board position following one's previous move’, which leads to this consequence. [This page](https://senseis.xmp.net/?Ko) offers a deeper explanation.**


	24. 丙戌: New Year

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yan Yujin delivered the bombshell with a smile rendered much bigger by his clear excitement: “My father found out how to trace a child back to its parents! Jingrui, you can finally find out who is your real father!”

#  丙戌: New Year

After bidding a cursory farewell to Sir Su, as well as dropping some minor threats to bring guards to turn the Pavilion upside down if Sir Su were to even be mildly threatened, Xiao Jingyan walked through the opened gate. He heard it close behind him. He whirled around, confused, as his surroundings were not Spiral Market Street as he had expected, but...

“Your Highness, when did you come back?” General Qi Meng, who had been passing by, stared with the watchmen behind him at their superior, who seemed to have walked out of thin air. “It’s only been an hour! How did you go from the household to Spiral Market Street and back?”

“...magic.”

“Huh?”

“Nothing.” Xiao Jingyan just looked around. “General Qi, where is Tingsheng?”

“Ah, the child is asleep, like Your Highness said...” Qi Meng reported. “Why?”

“...no, nothing,” Xiao Jingyan sighed. “I’m going to bring him to see his grandmother after the New Year.”

Qi Meng blinked. “Is his grandmother still alive? Isn’t she in the Secluded Courtyard?”

“The Secluded Courtyard allows ghosts out.” His Highness walked away.

“The ghosts- oh heavens,” Qi Meng exclaimed to himself once the superior was safely out of earshot, “don’t tell me that His Highness descended into Hell to find Tingsheng’s grandmother...?”

Behind General Qi, even the watchmen exchanged looks.

“Our Prince Jing is so cool!”

“Going up the Mountain of Knives or going down the Pot of Boiling Oil1, we must follow him!”

* * *

None of the men in the Jing residence even knew of Madame Jiang walking into a wood-shed to report to someone else.

“This is the only one who fits all the conditions so far,” Jiang Beike’s voice rang out in the gloom. “He thought that he only had one side of the world to contend with. Nevertheless, my subordinates found him out, staked out his quarters, and traced his contacts with the Grand Duke Jing.”

A quiet voice in the darkness asked. “Who is he?”

“At his first appearance, he professes his name to be Su Zhe, a wandering common scholar,” Jiang Beike delivered. “It is now the worst-kept secret in Jinling that he is actually Mei Changsu, top of the Langya Hall’s List of Gentlemen Talents, Chief of the Jiangzuo Alliance who controls the fourteen provinces left of the river. What everyone has yet to ask, though, is _who_ is Mei Changsu, this Mister Mei of Jiangzuo.”

The voice, stripped of all distinguishing characteristics by something, continued: “Then have you found out?”

“He is a _Shijiexian_ , created by faking his death by means of an enchanted object to substitute his corpse,” A click of the tongue resounded. “By some freak coincidence, some means was used to change his original face. His birth name is no longer traceable by the Registers of Life and Death in Hell, and his face cannot be identified by friends or family. Considering his ill health...”

“You did the right thing, Beike.” A flame sparked into life, and the Marquis Yan Que looked to his companion, the ghost of Lin Yueyao. “He will come on the fifth anyway, to visit Yujin. He must find an excuse to contact Yueyao.”

“In that case, our original contract has changed.” Jiang Beike slowly enunciated her words. “You spent thirty years in research for the elixir of life, your research masking your actual aim to receive a favour for me in order to kill the Emperor. But the mission has changed – Marquis Yan, your stakes have grown larger. I do not want to compete against a _Qilin_ , an entire clan of demons, and the Imperial presence.”

“When have I asked you to fight them, Beike?” the Marquis demanded. “You can go home. Tomorrow I shall find you for tea, and we will hash this out no matter how long it takes. You have a lot of time, and when have I broken my deals with you yet?”

“...very well then.” Jiang Beike saluted him. “Good night to the Marquis and Mrs Lin.”

She disappeared in a whirl of sleeves.

Lin Yueyao sagged. “Did you really have to call in a thousand-year-old demon? No, at that stage, that Jiang Beike is no longer a demon, she can be a dragon! A deity! And, it looks like Marquis Yan is finally spending more time with Yujin after so many years,” Lin Yueyao rolled her eyes at the ceiling. “Luckily you ordered those oranges, even if just to disguise your purpose of _assassination_.”

Marquis Yan barely winced. “I told you, Yueyao-”

“I know,” Yueyao flung her hands out in exasperation. “You weren’t thinking. You were just considering that, as a Taoist master, nobody would suspect you if gunpowder was used. Did you forget that Taoists invented gunpowder in the first place? Next time we’re planning together!”

“N- Next time...?” Yan Que did a double-take. “You’re... not going down after _Qingming_?”

“Who would pray to me?” Lin Yueyao pointed out, a flash of pain crossing her pale features. “I’m not going anywhere. If I could not be with the people I love in life, at least I must wait until I can be sure that Sister Jing and you are well.”

There was a sorrowful finality to her words.

Yan Que did not enquire further.

* * *

A messenger from the Su residence put the Grand Duke’s mind to rest about his safety, but also added that, since he was also down with a minor cold from improper movement, Physician Yan had imposed a moratorium on all business until after the New Year. With his worries settled, Xiao Jingyan thus paid more attention to military affairs until his responsibilities made him enter the Palace to visit his mother and pay his respects to his royal father.

The New Year itself thus passed without much incidence for the both of them.

The same, however, could not be said for the Royal Palace. The Emperor’s fury at the assassination of a royal messenger delivering the dishes granted from the imperial table shook the Court. Grand Commander Meng was called in for dereliction of duty, ordered to be beaten with twenty strokes of the rod, and commanded to solve the case in thirty days.

Despite the lack of evidence or witnesses, everyone involved in the succession fight was already clear as to who was the possible culprit.

“So,” asked the Grand Commander when Mei Changsu, upon finally being released, paid him a visit, “do you know who is it?”

Mei Changsu examined his nails, taking a seat next to the couch which Meng Zhi was currently lying upon, before he turned to his bodyguard. “Feiliu, don’t steal the cookies.”

“He can take them!” Meng Zhi groaned. “Tell me who killed my men and the Imperial envoy! I might be a military man, but I still have you, right?”

Feiliu stole Meng Zhi’s New Year goodies and ate them with a smile.

“Forget about the case, you can’t solve it.” Mei Changsu peered through the bottles of ointment set for Meng Zhi’s treatment, taking one for a sniff. “We have a witness-”

“What?” Meng Zhi groaned in pain from having jostled the wounds on his body. “Then produce the witness and everything’s solved!”

Mei Changsu sighed. “The location was an isolated patch of the city, right outside the Palace walls. Meng- _dàgē_ , can you name a single respectable entity who would be there at night?”

“...no.”

“Can you name one entity, who would not only be there, but also escaped the assassins by virtue of being unable to die by normal means?”

“...” Meng Zhi blinked rapidly. “The killed Imperial Guards _themselves_?!”

“If all murder cases were so convenient, the Capital Magistrate would be overwhelmed with cases of murder victims lodging their own complaints. Furthermore, the Emperor would not have punished you, because the Imperial envoy would have already reported back.” Mei Changsu shook his head. “This world would no longer have any grievances either, if the wronged dead can come back to launch a complaint so easily. Try again.”

“Then... a demon.” Meng Zhi then sighed. “The testimony of demons is considered suspect in court. It cannot be admitted.”

“From what I heard, the witness was a bat demon, and could not see well,” Mei Changsu’s face twisted. “The bat demon’s incredible hearing allowed him to pick out about seven assassins making short work of the horse-bound group. Even the specific steps the assassins took was traced out. This bat demon fled to the Northern Hamlet, where he told everyone that seven Imperial officers were killed. The rumour had salt and vinegar added to it, and by the dawn several demons were already testing if the blood spatters stretched far enough to disrupt the Imperial air and let them enter the palace easily. It sounds like some sort of absurd fantasy to talk about at night2, but this is the truth.”

“Ah?!”

Though demons were regarded on the same level as natural phenomena, it could be said that demons and devils were the closest things to deities that most humans living in Jinling would ever see in their lives. The official stance on the nature of the existence of demons as either subjects of the Emperor or convenient entities that appeared and disappeared as portentously as the passing of dynasties and disasters did not change the fact – demons existed, and most of Jinling’s imperial and mausoleum architecture was a directed effort to keep demons out of the Imperial presence. Half of Meng Zhi being chosen as Grand Commander was exactly to fend off against

“When humans gain fame, it is through killing demons,” Mei Changsu reflected. “When demons gain notoriety, it is from destroying villages, towns – entire kingdoms, even. I was unable to hold back Prince Yu from pleading for you, and thus this case has reached the Emperor’s reverse scales3; the succession fight, and demons.”

“The last time I faced Miss Lí, she will remember me,” Meng Zhi complained. “What if she asks about the He Wenxin case?”

“Miss Lí will not have time to ask about the He Wenxin case,” Mei Changsu firmly refuted. “Why would they ask about a case which has already reached their desired conclusion of ‘not a demon’? No, I’m talking about the news which has been going around Jinling’s Northern Hamlet – Madame Jiang Beike has come to Jinling.”

He took a biscuit from Feiliu at this moment, biting into it. “Who is Jiang Beike? The last time with the He Wenxin case, we forced a quick conclusion while indirectly using her subordinates.” He quickly related the previous time when he was locked in an illusory world the with Grand Duke Jing to Commander Meng, and watched Meng Zhi’s eyes grow.

“She used the threat of time to threaten us,” Mei Changsu concluded. “My illness makes me very keen about not wasting time, and to Jingyan, the succession fight by nature is also time-based depending on who is named heir before the Emperor’s death. This is an exquisite move under normal circumstances, but at this time, in this moment, against myself, this move is miraculous. If it wasn’t directed at me, I would applaud and admire her.”

“I think her best move was to lock the two of you together in the first place so that there wouldn’t be so many misunderstandings,” was Meng Zhi’s candid response. “She should have locked the two of you in longer, until you told the Grand Duke everything.”

“And then I would have been struck by lightning.”

“Oh... right,” Meng Zhi deflated.

“Enough about me,” Mei Changsu changed the subject, still rifling amongst the bottles. “Let’s talk about you. Madame Jiang’s return makes things much more complicated, but also makes this easier to handle. This plan has two steps. After your deadline is up, go and apologise to the Emperor, claim your incompetence, ask him to remove your position as an example.”

“No, no, no-”

“What medicine are you using? I will send you some better ointments.”

“Not like that!” Meng Zhi protested. “These words-”

“Why?” Mei Changsu teased, earning him a click of the tongue from the Grand Commander. “Can you not bear to give up this position?”

“I do not hanker after high positions and power,” Meng Zhi sighed, “but if I lost my position, what about you? Who will help you?”

“That is why there is a second part to this plan,” Mei Changsu elaborated. “Don’t worry, since they dared to lay hands on you, I won’t let them off.”

Meng Zhi gave him a focused glance. “It sounds like you have a suspect?”

“Though the capital may not be peaceful, there are only a few usual suspects,” Mei Changsu explained. “I have checked about, and I am sure that this case’s mastermind must be Xie Yu. In the capital, only he has the right motive and capabilities.”

“Then this answer is solved!” Meng Zhi almost leapt to his feet in joy, only for his wounds to act up. “Ouch! It’s solved!”

“Knowing it is different from proving it,” Mei Changsu denied. “After you’ve finished nursing your backside, you will go on this investigation and make all the necessary motions of investigating – which will take you to Thousand Autumns Pavilion. The demons might not care about most matters outside of Spiral Market Street, but their expertise in forensic examination is real, and you have seen it.”

“That one is true, at least,” Meng Zhi solemnly nodded. “The ‘fingerprints case’ rocked the whole street. But, asking demons to investigate this crime...”

“The fact that you are seeking their help in this kind of case with minimal evidence at witnesses at the outset can mean a lot of things, chief amongst them desperation,” Mei Changsu listed. “This act is played not just for the Emperor to see, but for Xie Yu and his partner in crime to see. Humans cannot judge this case; demons, on the other hand, can bring the case...”

Meng Zhi followed Mei Changsu’s finger as it pointed down.

“His Majesty is already suspicious of your connection to Prince Yu,” Mei Changsu concluded. “If you accuse Xie Yu now, you will look like part of Prince Yu’s faction. Xie Yu will not leave evidence easily traced by human sources; you will have to rely on demon sources. Yet, even if you account this to His Majesty, you cannot admit it to court, nor can you confirm it independently. Meng- _dàgē_ , here you plead your guilt before the Emperor, and let him choose; will he admit this evidence from demons, thereby proving that demons and by extension the supernatural is a worthy source of information, or will he simply acknowledge your guilt? He cannot do the first; hence, this case will end only with the acknowledgement of your efforts.”

“Then the perpetrators will escape from the law!” Meng Zhi complained, before seething at the pain that the blows had inflicted. “Ow...”

“They will escape from the court of law, but not the court of public rumour, which is at these times stronger than the court of law,” Mei Changsu explained. “Furthermore, if they try to fight back, they will have to kill the bat demon who witnessed – heard, rather – everything. If that happens, guess who will be the shield that Xie Yu must go against?”

* * *

The man that Mei Changsu and Meng Zhi were talking about was currently relaxing at home. “Who knew that Prince Yu would intercede with His Majesty on behalf of Meng Zhi,” Xie Yu laughed. “I heard that His Majesty was quite irate after listening to him.”

“Prince Yu has been in Court for so long,” Zhuo Dingfeng, Xie Yu’s relative by marriage and the leader of Tianquan Manor, was more puzzled, with his mind on other matters. “How can he be so rash?”

“Think about it,” Xie Yu reasoned, “we removed his Duke of Qing taking out his only supporter in the military. He needs a sword like Meng Zhi too much to pass it up. It is understandable if he makes such a move.”

“In that case, Brother Xie, it will be much easier for you,” Zhuo Dingfeng reflected.

“Divine Talent,” Xie Yu sneered. “Not even the Divine Talent can stop Prince Yu from this instant success.”

“But... there was a witness,” Zhuo Dingfeng reflected. “It was a demon.”

Xie Yu hummed. “Demons cannot lodge complaints or act as witnesses in court. Even the material evidence they produce is suspect at best.”

“I see,” Zhuo Dingfeng reflected. “I have already sent men to clean up after him. They will reply back to me once they left the Northern Hamlet.”

At this news, Xie Yu immediately did a double-take. “Where?”

“The Northern Hamlet,” Zhuo Dingfeng replied. “That’s where all the demons live, right? In the pugilist world demons have to be dealt with quickly. We cannot afford this kind of rumour.”

“Dear Heavens,” Xie Yu prayed solemnly, all his joy turned to ashes. “Brother Zhuo, what you have just done is to rouse a wolf that is not only still alive, but poised to bite us. Even if the official authorities do not care about the lives and deaths of demons, what about his fellow demons in the city? They will certainly seek revenge. Does your Tianquan sword-style prevent the stench of blood from leaking out? They will follow, and they will interrogate those other pugilist experts, and find us.”

“I can handle the demons,” Zhuo Dingfeng nodded. “Who is the strongest threat?”

“...” Xie Yu looked around himself, before he lowered his voice. “Can you handle Thousand Autumns Pavilion?”

“...” Zhuo Dingfeng wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead, which felt cold to his fingers. “We didn’t kill in Spiral Market Street. How is Aunt Luo involved?”

“Aunt Luo is not involved,” Xie Yu agreed, “but the word around is that a Madame Jiang has entered Jinling. Aunt Luo, for that reason, somehow doubled the usual attention paid on the He Wenxin case, with complete disregard for He Jingzhong. The criminal He Wenxin was even handed over to Marquis Yan!”

“Madame Jiang...” Zhuo Dingfeng frowned. “...I’ve never heard of her. But this is Jinling, under the Emperor himself, with the Grand Duke Jing and Marquis Yan in residence. What can she do to us?”

* * *

In some change of heart or some attack of the conscience, the Yan residence was opened to visitors for the new year’s visits. Ten days into the fifteen-day celebration, Mei Changsu thus brought it on himself to visit the Yan residence, and found the Xie brothers and Yan Yujin already snacking on the new year goodies laid out for guests. The four scholarly gentlemen chattered about everything under the sun, except for politics and court affairs.

“If it were not for the fact that our ancestral shrines are in the capital, he would probably want to move to the mountains,” Yan Yujin summarised his father. “It was such a surprise that he stayed for the New Year!”

“If the two of you didn’t look so alike, who could tell you were father and son?” Xiao Jingrui teased. “Uncle Yan is mild and peaceful, like a crane leisurely surfing the wind above an open field. Whereas you, you run towards excitement and trouble. To say nothing of the manner of a crane, you are more like a stray cat!”

“Yes, the Young Master Xiao has a noble manner,” Yan Yujin shrugged. “I am a stray cat, and you are the well-behaved domestic cat, happy?”

Mei Changsu couldn’t hold back a laugh. “It’s been so long since I heard the two of you bickering like this, what a familiar feeling.”

“Precisely!” Yan Yujin sighed. “My father in these years was preoccupied with the search for the elixir of life. He doesn’t pay any attention to Palace affairs these days – he only cares about his rituals and medicines. If he didn’t have me around as a son, he would definitely have turned our home into a Taoist temple as well.”

“Why are you fishing for sympathy?” Xie Bi scolded him with a smile. “You’ve always been a carefree little playboy, aren’t you happier without your dad around telling you what to do? You spend your time in those houses of entertainment surrounded by crowds of beautiful ladies, how could you be lonely?”

“Yes, yes,” Yan Yujin laughed. “Aside from a brief spell earlier when my dad suddenly wanted to shove me into Forbidden Dragon Army to serve as a messenger, he’s never paid much attention to my future. I guess the good thing is that no one’s around to pay attention to me, so I can do anything I please.”

“Perhaps he thought that your future was fraught with danger, and thus you should enjoy yourself,” Mei Changsu reflected. “It’s not like the Marquis can walk through walls like Zuo Ci.4”

“If my father could do that, it would be incredible!” Yan Yujin clapped his hands in glee. “In the past years, I'll be left alone as soon as the rites to the ancestors were completed. This year, he even sat with me to wait for the New Year!”

Both of them sidestepped the bloody fates of those wizards who, however learned in Taoist arts they were, could not produce the elixir of life. There was, however momentary, an understanding in Yan Yujin’s intelligent eyes – the Great Liang’s most powerful Taoist master was in fact held hostage by this son of his, whose fate desperately rested upon finding the medicine of the gods. Few Taoist practitioners could achieve immortality in style like Ge Xuan, disappearing in the night with a gust of wind leaving only his clothes as he was wearing them and enough legend to last many centuries. Most Taoists in Court, if not killed for failing at the elixir of life, were executed like Guo Pu for failing to provide divine omens to fit the plans of their lords.

How could the clamour and excitement of romantic parlours compare to the warmth and love of a home and family? Yet, there were such heavy consequences for failure, and these twenty-odd years of work were truly a labour of love, if it even derived something.

Yan Yujin had a smile still lingering on his lips, as if he took nothing to heart. “That reminds me. My father mentioned that he and his men have already uncovered what they believe to be the blueprint of life! Jingrui, I don’t quite know what he means, but he said that he plans to ask your family to be the first people to try his new method out.”

Mei Changsu was taken aback. If the secrets to heaven were so easy to unravel, was Yujin going to blurt it out, right here and now?!

Xiao Jingrui blinked, exchanging looks with Xie Bi before echoing: “New method? Why would he ask me?”

Yan Yujin delivered the bombshell with a smile rendered much bigger by his clear excitement: “My father found out how to trace a child back to its parents! Jingrui, you can finally find out who is your real father!”

Having been in the midst of drinking wine, Xiao Jingrui choked and had to be heavily thumped on the back by a panicked Xie Bi. On the other hand, Mei Changsu froze, shivering.

“Yujin,” he suddenly asked, “this method... how does it work?”

“My father says, if men are made from earth, then there must be something which differentiates humans from mere earth,” Yan Yujin frowned, his brow scrunching. “Anyway, he thinks that this... this Inscrutable Register5, in his words follows a person’s essence when they meet an opposite essence. Men are _yang_ in nature, and women complement with _yin_ , and the two mix to create new life. Every human therefore carries their personal Register in their bodies! Isn’t it miraculous?!”

“It is definitely miraculous,” Mei Changsu said for lack of words to express his feelings. “Did he mention any particularly significant helpers? Any very dangerous places he had to go?”

“Su- _xiong_ is also interested in Taoism?” Yan Yujin frowned. “Ah, three days ago, he said that Thousand Autumns Pavilion had a register of faces for him to prove that demons and humans have different substance, and that if he didn’t come back, to immediately go there. It was very strange, but Father came back anyway...”

“Miraculous,” Mei Changsu quietly muttered to himself. “So marvellous, in fact, that it can only be called demonic.”

* * *

**1 ZH:  上刀山, 下油锅 (shang dao shan xia you guo) – Chinese expression equivalent to ‘come Hell or high water’. Both the Mountain of Knives and the Pot of Boiling Oil are punishments in Diyu.**

**2 ZH:  天方夜谭 (tian fang ye tan) – used to describe a fantasy story. Also used to refer to the classic _Arabian Nights_. Since Sino-Persian relations persisted during the Han dynasty and continued on even to the real-life Liang dynasty, it’s hard to tell the etymology of this expression.**

**3 ZH:  逆鳞 (ni lin) – ‘inverted scale’, refers to a sensitive subject which arouses wrath from the person being asked. The reversed/inverted scale is located at the neck section of the Chinese dragon. Although dragons supposedly can be trained and ridden, if a person is to touch the inverted scale, he or she will definitely be harmed. Hence, the idiom 龙有逆鳞 (long you ni lin) actually means everyone has their ‘weak point’ which will enrage them if touched.**

**4 Zuo Ci, courtesy name Yuanfang, was a legendary personage of the late Eastern Han dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period of China. It is believed that he had existed before the collapse of the Han dynasty, and it is claimed that he lived until the age of 300. Cao Cao tried to execute Zuo Ci, but Zuo escaped by walking through walls.**

**5 The characters I had in mind was  天机谱 (tian ji pu) – ‘register of (archaic) mysteries known only to heaven’. The achievements of Taoism in relation to Chinese culture were chiefly medical and scientific, as opposed to the philosophical and cultural achievements of Chinese Buddhism. To people who had never considered the concept of DNA, such a molecule much seem indeed to be a book of esoteric knowledge about a person’s future health and final cause of death barring accidents.**


	25. 丁亥: Assistance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You have many problems,” the Marquis Yan took up his teacup to contemplate its contents. “Are we talking about your weak body that has not a shred of physical power? Or are we talking about the poison in your body, aggravated by the curse of seventy thousand men? Or, are we discussing your status as a traitor? What do you think... Mrs Lin?”
> 
> A hand clasped over Mei Changsu’s right shoulder. This left hand was delicate and slim like a woman’s, resembling jade, bearing claws painted a crimson so deep it resembled dried blood, yet smoother than lacquered wood. The corresponding right hand was next to a standing body, also delicately painted in that same taloned dried-blood fashion.
> 
> “I think,” said a woman’s voice at Mei Changsu’s left side, “all of them count.”

#  丁亥: Assistance

As expected, Xie Bi came home and repeated Yan Yujin’s portentous words to his parents, in the face of the Zhuo couple. The reaction was unexpected, to say the least – only Mrs Zhuo was the happiest out of the four elders, and asked the least questions out of all of them. Especially Uncle Zhuo and his father – Xie Bi had no idea why his father was so fixated on where Yan Que had gone to, and why Uncle Zhuo kept asking about this ‘miraculous’ method to locate the Register of Life and Death in humans.

“Paternity testing?” Xie Yu was already discussing with Zhuo Dingfeng after that bombshell was dropped. “Yan Que...!!! Why of all times do you have to test your new method _now_?! And of all places, that place?!”

“This is a good thing, right?” Zhuo Dingfeng was confused. “We can finally resolve this puzzle between us.”

“No matter who turns out to be Jingrui’s father, this situation would become a permanent block between us!” Xie Yu nearly pulled at his hair, but refrained for the sake of neatness. “This was clearly that Madame Jiang’s doing!”

“Surely not!” Zhuo Dingfeng denied.

“Brother Zhuo, think,” Xie Yu shot back. “The killing was done on New Year’s eve. Seven days after the discovery and you sending men after that bat demon who disappeared somewhere, Yan Que goes to Thousand Autumns Pavilion for some reason. Three days later, this earth-shaking discovery is gossip fodder, in front of Mei Changsu!”

Xie Yu was so irate, spittle flew from his mouth in all directions and tangled in his neatly clipped beard. “She clearly knows that Brother Zhuo was involved! We are relatives by marriage and due to our parentage of Jingrui! Which household’s child is the most famous case of unclear parentage, where even the Emperor himself called the Royal Physicians in to resolve the problem at the start? Thousand Autumns Pavilion is the most famous hall for unorthodox medical treatments, and Madame Jiang owns it! Hence, no matter how true or false this method to determine parentage is, Madame Jiang interceded with the Marquis purely to direct it at us!”

Zhuo Dingfeng’s expression turned red with apoplectic rage. “What a... what a poisonous move. What kind of woman is that, to hold such poisonous intentions...”

“That is a demoness,” Xie Yu corrected him. “The most powerful demoness in Jinling at the moment is this Madame Jiang. To announce this news at this moment is to directly attack our hearts. It is more effective and painful than magic or threats or powers.”

“Such a benefit to humanity was turned to such an insidious use!” Zhuo Dingfeng raged. “I must go after this poisonous woman immediately!”

“I think you have better go after Mrs Zhuo instead,” Xie Yu persuaded. “Otherwise a demon might actually turn up here and conduct the treatment.”

Zhuo Dingfeng’s eyes lit up in realisation. “You’re right... this is a thorn in the missus’ heart. To know whose baby died that night...”

* * *

“No matter true or false, this news was clearly directed at Xie Yu,” Mei Changsu assessed before the Marquis Yan after the necessary pleasantries, since he had been delayed by the Yan elder for a chat as Yujin went out with the Xie sons for other activities. “It is news so miraculous, Su has to wonder if perhaps the source of this knowledge was demonic in nature.”

“You must be the famous Su Zhe,” Marquis Yan greeted, indeed as calm as a crane riding the currents. “It is an honour to meet you at last. I have often heard my son praising you as a giant among men, and truly, your graceful manner is remarkable to behold.”

“Who else in Jinling... can hope to beg from Madame Jiang a favour, and receive it?” Mei Changsu came to the point immediately. “I heard that the Marquis proclaimed himself to be the _Meilin_ – amongst physicians, the apricot forest. Amongst _Daoshi_ must therefore be the plum forest.”

“ _Daoshi_ first existed in order to achieve important and useful things with one’s hands,” Yan Que clarified. “If there is a problem, then something can be made to combat this problem. That is the way of many things.”

“To those in adverse circumstances, a passing _Daoshi_ must seem like receiving coal in the middle of winter, 1” Mei Changsu remarked. “I recall, the Emperor’s fears of a  _yin_ imbalance at the year-end rites was allayed by a solution proposed by the Marquis yourself.”

“A small matter,” the Marquis snorted. “Minor, compared to the mess he made of the Cliffs of Mei-”

“The Cliffs of Mei?” Mei Changsu sat straighter.

Marquis Yan nodded. “The easiest type of curse to make is a  _gu_  curse. The reason why it became so prolific, is because it is very simple to execute – kill as many things as possible, concentrate them all in one place, and the grievances themselves will accumulate to grant power. Here the curse can turn two ways – if there are no survivors, then the location is marked as a demonic spots, an unlucky location. If, however, something survived, then the curse manifests as a  _gu_ which follows the survivor.”

He smiled. It was not a kind smile. “Battlefields are never easy to clean up. Like placing a sword to the neck of Great Liang, this sword will fall at any moment. This kind of curse can drive people crazy, and is difficult to combat. Or, perhaps...”

“Su has never been learnt in the Taoist arts,” Mei Changsu quickly refuted, shivering as a cold breeze blew across the sitting room. “But Su has heard that the Marquis Yan is so skilled in solving problems, that he has already started calling himself a ‘plum forest’ after the great doctors. Then Su has a tiny problem... Marquis Yan is an intelligent man, and has already determined it?”

“You have many problems,” the Marquis Yan took up his teacup to contemplate its contents. “Are we talking about your weak body that has not a shred of physical power? Or are we talking about the poison in your body, aggravated by the curse of seventy thousand men? Or, are we discussing your status as a traitor? What do you think... Mrs Lin?”

A hand clasped over Mei Changsu’s right shoulder. This left hand was delicate and slim like a woman’s, resembling jade, bearing claws painted a crimson so deep it resembled dried blood, yet smoother than lacquered wood. The corresponding right hand was next to a standing body, also delicately painted in that same taloned dried-blood fashion.

“I think,” said a woman’s voice at Mei Changsu’s _left_ side, “all of them count.”

Mei Changsu fell out of his seat in a mad scramble. True to his wildest thoughts, the only way that Lin Yueyao could have spoken in his left ear while was body was on his right side was only if her neck could stretch the span of his – admittedly slender – shoulders. Her head bobbing so highly as a sign of her death by hanging was cruelly horrific in the filtered sunlight which lit the dim sitting room.

A knock resounded.

“Come in,” said the Marquis Yan inside the room.

A flurry of whispers outside the room drew Mei Changsu’s attention away from the tragic expression that his late aunt was favouring him with. The door behind swung open, and footsteps announced at least two people.

“Marquis Yan, how did-”

Mu Nihuang, lady general and commander of the southern border, stepped over the threshold and paused. Her face slackened in disbelief as she, and Mei Changsu, stared at the Marquis Yan framed in the door next to Nihuang. Their necks cracked with the whiplash needed to focus on the Marquis Yan seated in the place of honour of the room.

“Ghost-!” Nihuang’s head turned some more, her eyes widening at the sight of Lin Yueyao’s protracted neck. She gave a choked scream, but drew her sword in a show of incredible valour before she squinted, and dropped the weapon with a start. “Consort-”

“Nihuang,” Lin Yueyao sighed. “We will tell you, but please close the door. My ethereal body cannot survive well in sunlight.”

The door closed.

Lin Yueyao floated towards Mei Changsu, her taloned hands clawing at the tassel binding his sleeve only to snarl as her hands kept passing through the cloth. Nihuang walked over and forcefully pushed back his thick fur robes, all the way up to the elbow. She turned it a few times, inspecting the pale skin carefully before she changed her pull to Mei Changsu’s collar, closely inspecting the area around his neck and his collarbone.

Mei Changsu let her manipulate him, and did not push either of them away or cover himself even as the room turned colder and even the discreet brazier burned lower, its embers dimming.

“...you,” Mu Nihuang mouthed, staring at Mei Changsu now. “She approached... you.”

“Worthy nephew... Little Shu...” Consort Chen’s claws hesitated. “What manner of magic is this? Not even... not even your mother can recognise you like this...”

Her tears finally fell, trailing down her face continuously. Unable to offer her comfort, Mei Changsu pulled his cloak tighter around himself.

“... Are you afraid of the cold?” Nihuang watched as he tightened the fur robe around himself.

“Yes... I cannot stand the cold,” Mei Changsu looked away. “Pray Your Highness forgives me.”

Lin Yueyao retreated, fleeing across the room away from him as if it would help.

“Everyone called you ‘the little fireball’,” Nihuang’s face was pale in the candlelight and cloaked in the dimness of indoors. “What can turn such a robust young man into someone so afraid of the cold...? Changing your face I think might be necessary to escape, but... Marquis Yan!” She looked lost, turning in a circle between the two Taoists. “Uncle Yan, this... did you...”

The Marquis Yan standing bent down to retrieve Nihuang’s sword, and started to cut into his face, pulling the skin and flesh apart to reveal the winning smile of Jiang Beike. The shreds of skin and sinewy muscle fluttered apart into shreds and twists of inked paper.

“His Grace the Marquis bade Beike to wear his face to suggest the possibility to Your Highness,” Jiang Beike bowed to the Grand Duchess. “From the beginning, the Marquis’ summons was to introduce you to an interesting question: everyone with some means can investigate Su Zhe to Mr Mei of River Left. Who is Mei Changsu...?”

Mei Changsu smiled coldly, his heart beating underneath all of that. “Changsu has no grievance or grudge against you.”

“Last time, you created trouble for my disciples to clean up, even though you must have already known the rules which I operate,” Jiang Beike gave him a flat, eerie stare with her eyes clearly turned silvery. “For such a big misunderstanding, what do you want me to do?”

Mei Changsu settled back, abashed. It was, after all, a fact that he had already involved Thousand Autumns Pavilion in both the Lan Manor case, and the Willow House brothel murder case. The gifts that had been paid were to secure permission to murder Qiu Zhengping – the rest of the troubles incurred had not been accounted for by the demons of the Northern Hamlet.

“Neither of you control Jinling,” Marquis Yan spoke up. “Neither of you need to fuss any more.”

“...Yes, Your Grace.”

Mei Changsu looked at the mistress of Jiyue Hall backed down – even if it was done with bad grace, the entity said to function as the otherworld’s Langya Hall was actually listening to a human. His head then moved back to face Marquis Yan. “Marquis Yan has incredible power, indeed.”

At this point, Mu Nihuang was brimming with questions. “If... you were... him... what happened?”

“...”

“...”

“Beike,” the Marquis Yan growled. “This question is also included in the fee. Jiang Beike,” he told Nihuang, “is a demoness I hired to find out.”

“...” Jiang Beike reached over and pressed her fingers to Mei Changsu’s wrist. She pondered, before sighing. “The little Lin didn’t say it, but he kept focusing my attention to you. No wonder... Were you that desperate for a cure?”

Mei Changsu’s lips pressed together. “You have no evidence...”

“Who am I?” the Madame laughed, almost like a kindly grandmother indulging a naughty child. “I’m the mistress of Jiyue Hall. Your backer at the Langya Hall is still young, and his medical knowledge reaches only up to my ankles. Perhaps if you were part of the Hua...”

“Beike, leave him alone,” the Marquis ordered. “Tell me. Please.”

Madame Jiang coughed, clearing her throat. “The Poison of the Bitter Flame is the most mysterious poison of the human world, and amongst the top three mystery poisons of the three worlds.”

Madame Jiang’s eyes rolled, as if recalling by rote the details. “It is classified as a strange phenomena, and also a derivative of the Nanyue  _Gu_ poison. Its production involves the _Xuejie_ bug, found near the Cliffs of Mei. These bugs eat burnt flesh, and spit out poison at the same time. Using the cold nature of this poison to suppress the heat of fire imbalances the cycle of elements within the body – it will hurt a lot, but the target will live, and thus the poison is created.”

Jiang Beike gave Mei Changsu a searching look, as if she could peer through his flesh and look at his bones. “Symptoms: those who are poisoned by this Poison of the Bitter Flame will have their bones deform, their flesh swell up, white fur grows all over the body, tongue stiffens so the target cannot speak. The poison also acts up many times a day, and can be relieved by drinking blood – human blood is best. The longest recorded lifespan of someone who was struck by this poison was one hundred and thirty years, who claimed that every day was like being in Hell, and his ghost reported that dying was better.”

“But...”

Nihuang was shushed by the Marquis. “It is not over,” was his sad reply.

“There are two ways of curing the poison,” Madame Jiang had some semblance of expression for once in her rote recounting: pity. “The first, and most thorough method, can be summed up as ‘rearranging bones and tearing off the skin’. The poison must be removed from the bone marrow. It leaves a deep impact on a body of flesh and bone. The patient will recover normal looks and speech, although very different from before. The patient will also lose any physical ability, the cold will be a constant threat to their life, and their lifespan will be very short. In theory, recovery time would require being bedridden for one year...”

“In theory?” Nihuang echoed.

“Until now,” was the reply, “there have been no survivors beyond three months.”

Nihuang reared back as if struck, and even Lin Yueyao screeched.

“That old Lin must have pushed the  _Shijiexian_ ritual on you as insurance,” Jiang Beike shook her head. “Trusting your life to the Siming must have looked less dangerous than leaving your life to fate. As of now, out of the hundred people poisoned with this poison before you who chose this route in the thousand years since the Cliffs of Mei received their name, there is only one survivor – Mei Changsu. End of report.”

“I can admit that I am Lin Shu,” Mei Changsu’s hand shook, “but you have no evidence.”

“The Grand Princess Jinyang lies in the Imperial Mausoleum,” Jiang Beike easily replied. “Even if only bones remain now, those bones will absorb the blood of their closest kin, such as a son’s... you can change your form, but your substance is a bit trickier to change,” she told Mei Changsu, as if taking delight at the dawning horror on his face.2

She leaned back to consider him. “Actually, it works out. No matter how sick you will be from now on, your body would be considered immortal. Using your birth name to trade in a new face and a new body, however unrecognisable, would have worked for however long you would hide without anyone from your old life...”

She began pacing around, looking at him as if there were details that only she could see. The Marquis followed her gaze, and squinted. Whatever he saw caused him to draw a sharp breath.

“Yan Que... that bad?” Lin Yueyao faltered.

“A _Shijiexian_ is supposed to spend the life they swapped in exchange for abandoning their family in wandering and hiding,” the Marquis uttered faintly. “You can never tell anyone your real name, not even a stranger. Using this kind of method to attain eternal life violates the laws of Heaven and Earth in the first place, so if anyone who finds out your name, you will be struck by lightning, your soul scattered across the Earth... never to be reincarnated.”

“...I suppose for an amateur who had yet to cultivate before meeting such a disaster, this was the only way,” Jiang Beike continued to frown, peering around her. “...Little Shu, Lin Shu, was it? Everyone else step away.”

One finger. A second finger. The middle three fingers extended as her thumb held down her little finger on her palm.

“Three... two... one...”

Heat rushed down on his head.

Nihuang screamed.

Madame Jiang primly stepped back as the roof broke under a strike of lightning, clicking her tongue. “Old Lin had a very good hand there. That is a very durable Talisman for Living in Hiding.”

Lin Yueyao tried to touch him, but her hands passing through the body, until she gave up and just screamed into her sleeve. “Little-”

“Do not say his name!” Marquis Yan had picked himself up from where he had dived at the first lightning strike. “The wrath of heaven...”

“Marquis Yan! Consort Chen!” Nihuang was already on the ground pressing into Mei Changsu’s chest. “Call a physician! The Su residence... that Physician Yan can save him, right?!”

“We need to move him outside to do that, and if we do, I am afraid...” Marquis Yan frowned, and then made a beckoning gesture with his fingers. “Beike, I need you to send him to his residence. If that rabbit from Guanghan Palace is there...”

“If you want me to ferry him without passing outside and being struck by lightning...” He was now faced with a smile which hid knives and eyes which shone like luminous pearls.

“You will do that, yes?”

“Then the price which we discussed beforehand...”

“That was you speaking as master of Jiyue Hall,” Marquis Yan clarified, a grim frown on his face. “Yujin is not, and will never be, up for debate. I am asking you as a friend.”

Jiang Beike looked away. “When you first contracted my Hall to help you assassinate the Emperor, it was possible – expensive, but possible. You changed your mind halfway through, and asked me to uncover a  _Shijiexian_. You are now asking me to shield the same  _Shijiexian_ from heavenly retribution, when it was clearly his own fault for not bringing enough talismans. Those who seek immortality by rights should be prepared to face any penalty. Even were I willing, I do not run a charity here.”

Yan Que paced around some more. “A Weiqi board with stones of warm jade. Will you do me this favour in exchange?”

“Your Grace,” the Madame frowned, “I am a commoner.” The word was spoken with an acerbic tone. “Only royals and nobles have the privilege of using jade.”

“The duchy of Yunnan specialises in providing _Weiqi_ stones,” Mu Nihuang bit back, still doing compressions on Mei Changsu’s chest. “If you get B- Brother back without further injuries, I will give you a complete set of  _Yunzi_ stones. Do you like  _Weiqi_? My family’s collection of written records will be yours if he recovers.”

Jiang Beike’s eyes lit up, and she leant forward with a smile. “Then,” she said, “you had better keep your promises.”

* * *

**1 This is a play on  雪中送炭 (xuě zhōng sòng tàn) – ‘to send charcoal in snowy weather’, an idiom about someone providing help in someone else's hour of need.**

**2 This ‘dripping blood to recognise family’ ( 滴血认亲di xue ren qin) test goes back to the Three Kingdoms period. It tests for genetic kinship by dropping blood from a living individual onto the bones of a dead person – supposedly, only the blood of a child will be absorbed into the parent’s bones. ** **There is no proof that it works, but it was recorded in the thirteenth-century forensic textbook 洗冤集錄 (xǐ yuān jí lù) by Song-dynasty coroner and physician Song Ci – translated as ‘Collected Cases of Injustice Rectified’ or ‘Washing Away of Wrongs’. This book was the first systematised study of forensic medicine, and thereafter secured Song’s place as a leading protagonist in  _gong’an_ fiction alongside Di Renjie, Bao Zheng, and Su Wuming (the last one now lost).**


	26. 戊子: Burning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “My Painted Skin art, strictly speaking, does not create a skin, but a mask,” Xiao Jingyan’s voice took over, and Mei Changsu nearly leapt out of bed as he turned over and quickly turned his back again on what looked like Xiao Jingyan stripping out of his fifth brother’s clothes. “Like how shells can exist independently of the animal which created them, my masks do not rot, which was why clamshell is said to have a purifying effect on spirits. This is the reason why shells like mine were used as mortar for mausoleum walls, and why I can openly offer this service to demons. The only problem is that shells do not age openly, so adjusting these faces require calculation.”
> 
> “You can wear anyone’s face except Xiao Jingyan’s,” Mei Changsu retorted, while his back was still assiduously turned.

#  戊子: Burning

As the New Year ended, the news of an illegal fireworks factory in the Northern Hamlet being burnt down sparked the flames of gossip across the capital. The conflagration had been contained – human sources remained fuzzy how the fires and smoke had been contained in a giant cylinder aimed only towards the heavens.

Demon sources merely smirked and sent more gifts to Thousand Autumns Pavilion.

Directly after the nine days’ wonder that was the vertical column of fire in the north of Jinling, Shen Zhui submitted an emergency petition to the Emperor, detailing his evidence thus far directed at the Eastern Palace. In a wave of unpopularity and fury, the Crown Prince was publicly berated in Court and sentenced to three years of seclusion, his reputation in tatters compared to his seventh brother, who was marked out for distributing army provisions without reporting back to the Ministry of Defence. Despite Xiao Jingyan’s willingness to take responsibility for misconduct, His Highness was then shielded in Court by not only Shen Zhui, but also Grand Duchess Nihuang, who rebutted the Ministry of Defence with accusations of spite and making fuss of a minor issue. The small oversight was thus resolved with the Emperor openly forgiving Xiao Jingyan, with extra praise for being decisive, only needing to report the uses of military provisions to soothe the stunned human populace at a later date.

Amidst the mess, the Xuanjing Bureau was commanded to investigate the New Year’s eve murder case for concrete evidence – because the testimony of one near-blind demon witness was unreliable at best. Senior executive Xia Dong set out from Jinling – not to investigate, but prepared for the cold weather.

Mount Gu, the Lonely Mountain, was shrouded in shadows and mist when she rode her horse to its foot. Wan sunlight dappled stones and leaves in patches of white. Trees spread their branches in supplications to the heavens and the earth – picturesque, as she had expected when she chose the grave-site for her late husband.

Beside the roofed tombstone marked for the late General Nie Fēng was a pile of clothes and white fur. Xia Dong squinted, and her trained eyes identified the limbs of a human or some simian relative thereof. The pile shifted, and a pair of wide, innocent eyes, framed by twin white curls which were its- his eyebrows, wrinkled as they looked at her. The eyes looked away as Xia Dong continued to stare, and then he buried his face into equally hairy hands.

There was a sorrowful joy in the curve of her lips as Xia Dong reached out to grab his hand. “You’re finally back...”

Leaves rustled, and a mass of golden fur dropped down. “ _Aiyoh_ , here you are- ah, a human!”

Xia Dong whirled around to face the talking monkey, who was also dressed in human clothes.

“I’m sorry that our companion managed to get himself lost, ma’am,” the monkey started, “but we’re the ambassadors from the Mountain of Flowers and Fruits, here to return this human. Do you know a Nie Fēng who disappeared about twelve, thirteen years ago? He was wearing this bracelet.”

Received with shaking hands, the only proof of Nie Fēng’s existence passed into the hands of his wife at last.

* * *

“You were struck by lightning indoors,” Meng Zhi harped on that point. He had been harping on it for every single one of his daily secret visits to the Su residence, ever since he had come across Mu Nihuang and she had taken him into confidence. “I don’t know if you’re deliberately tormenting yourself or testing how long is your allotted lifespan in full, but why did you come to Jinling to suffer like _this_?!”

Mei Changsu hummed, sinking back into his blankets on the open couch which had become his daily resting place to receive visitors – in the rare occasion that important news really arrived. Mostly it came from Commander Meng. “There was no choice. To do the things I sought to do, I needed a normal voice and a normal face.”

Meng Zhi sighed. “But like this... there’s no way we can tell His Highness the Grand Duke Jing! Nihuang was going to march up to him and tell him the truth-”

Mei Changsu tried to sit up, but failed at the exertion.

“-but I told her about your kind, and now everyone has to keep the secret for you or some more lightning comes down,” Meng Zhi scowled. “I don’t even know if Heaven has eyes... let’s see... The Marquis Yan knows. Your aunt who’s a ghost knows. Grand Duchess Nihuang knows...”

“Madame Jiang was hired by Marquis Yan to find out,” Mei Changsu replied. “She is in the same business as Langya Hall – for the right price, that information can go out anytime. If Marquis Yan can hire her, so can a lot more people. Furthermore, and this is the worst thing, she has a method of proving it.”

“Hah?” Meng Zhi’s mouth was agape. “How to prove it?”

“Dripping blood to recognise kin,” Mei Changsu replied.

“Oh... right.” The Grand Commander stared. “But... Princess Jinyang’s bones are in the Imperial Mausoleum...”

“If Xia Jiang was to find out, how long will it take for them to exhume my mother’s body?” Mei Changsu exhaled slowly. “The mausoleum guards are a different army from the Imperial Guards that you command, and they’re far from Jinling... the only way that I can stop this test is to wash my mother’s bones in salt water. Only...”

“Only?”

“...she was my mother.” A haunted look entered his eyes. “If I do this... I have a different face. My mother’s bones won’t even recognise me. How will she know that it’s me when I go down to meet her?”

Meng Zhi patted Mei Changsu’s shoulder, lost for words. For a man to have lost his face, his voice, his health and his original power, forced into hiding was agonising enough. To be faced with the option of life or the remains of his connection to his past was, in some ways, even more tragic. “Maybe it won’t come to that,” Meng Zhi discreetly wiped a tear on his sleeve. “You have a different face, body, and you show a different personality. It would take a freak combination of factors to connect Mei Changsu to Lin Shu...”

“We live in a world where demons roam the day, ghosts roam the north, and my dead aunt is living with her former lover despite her husband being alive! A freak combination of factors is nothing!”

“Well...” Meng Zhi fidgeted. “ _Yin_ and  _yang_  are different roads, and ghosts and humans take different paths anyway... if the pugilist people haven’t got the answer from Langya Hall from so long, then why would anyone think that Madame Jiang has the answer?”

“Langya Hall’s old master is an acquaintance of my father when he travelled the pugilist world,” Mei Changsu clarified. “Madame Jiang is their opposite – their nemesis, even...”

“Right,” Meng Zhi started, “Speaking of Madame Jiang-”

“She burned down the fireworks factory by accident?”

“Not just that,” Meng Zhi shook his head. “The vertical column of fire – very scary, I tell you – illuminated the scene of He Wenxin walking outside. He was quickly caught by the night watchmen, with He Jingzhong by Assistant Minister Cai responding to the scene. Minister Qi was implicated in the case and stripped of his position and titles, and Minister Cai took over.”

Mei Changsu nodded slowly. “Besides the admirable lack of lives lost, that is the only good thing which has come.”

“This new Minister of Justice petitioned to charge Madame Jiang with property destruction!” Meng Zhi burst with the news. “Isn’t he crazy?! That property destruction started his promotion! And, how would the Ministry of Justice prosecute a demon?”

The door slammed open, and Li Gang reported, panting: “Your subordinate was unable to delay him! The Grand Duke Jing came here to hunt demons!”

“Go hide somewhere!” Mei Changsu ordered Meng Zhi, lying back down. “I’ll talk to you later.”

* * *

In all of these sudden matters, Su Zhe’s second bout of illness went rather unremarked in the waters of gossip, but it resurged in public interest when someone realised Su Zhe’s absence in public affairs. All well-wishers and visitors were refused. Even the Prince Yu’s gifts were turned back, and the royal prince himself ate the soup of closed doors on the one occasion he tried to visit.1

It got to the point where Prince Yu visited the Grand Duke Jing and openly hinted at the possibility of something ‘dirty’ at the Su residence; as the only royal _Fangshi_ around, and since the Marquis Yan was busy, it fell to Xiao Jingyan to locate and exterminate supernatural threats in Jinling.

Hence, the Grand Duke openly visited him one day at the end of the first month of the year. He found Mei Changsu on an open couch in his study, under a mountain of blankets, looking even more like a ghost draped in white furs. Any doubts on the Grand Duke’s part about the factory explosion was assuaged – there was no way Mei Changsu was in any position to do anything at all.

“Please do not get up,” the Grand Duke said to prevent Mei Changsu from moving. “You look so ill that we could expect the Black and White Impermanences at any moment.”

“Only _Fangshi_ can joke so easily about the messengers of Hell,” Mei Changsu settled back. “Greetings to Your Highness the Grand Duke Jing.”

“My brother the Prince Yu insisted that something unclean must have attacked Sir Su over the New Year, otherwise Sir Su would not have been so ill,” Xiao Jingyan said as he settled himself by the bedside. “I have my personal doubts – for one, your newly constructed courtyard has excellent fengshui properties, excellent design – but I came through the door in the course of my imperial duties. I must therefore beg for Sir Su’s forgiveness.”

“What is there... to forgive...?” Mei Changsu was faced with a hand-mirror, round in shape. Xiao Jingyan reflected Mei Changsu’s emaciated features within, and then took a glance and put the mirror away into a felt bag.

“Since there is nothing of business here, we can therefore settle on visiting a patient,” Xiao Jingyan said at last.

“What if I was a demon?” Mei Changsu whispered. “Would Your Highness keep me by your side?”

“My choice does not matter,” Xiao Jingyan sighed. “I have known many demons, but no matter my trust in Sir Su, the laws exist for a reason. Witchcraft has always been amongst the things the royal clan is forbidden to use, and demons are a thin line between witchcraft and religious ritual.”

“Still so straightforward,” Mei Changsu gave a faint smile.

“Sir Su, on the other hand... I have not seen you since...” Xiao Jingyan waved. “About that matter...”

“It is better not to talk about such strange matters, at least not while Madame Jiang is within the city limits.” Mei Changsu frowned lightly. “She might appear.”

“...has she _visited_?”

“No,” Mei Changsu replied. “That is where she is clever. Her spy is already at your side.”

“Oh?”

“Lie Zhanying is Miss Lí’s son,” Mei Changsu told him.

Xiao Jingyan settled back, and did not reply.

“...you already knew,” accused Mei Changsu.

Xiao Jingyan’s brow creased. “In order for him to work for Great Liang’s army, he had no choice but to keep this secret. It is hard for human widows to remain virtuous in mourning for their late husbands; even putting aside marital fidelity, how are they to make a living and raise their children? Especially widows like Miss Lí – they live longer, and their reputations already so sullied by the outset. Zhanying has the skills of an excellent scout, the speed of birds, and he can fly messages faster than carrier pigeons. He has the loyalty to serve his country, risking decapitation and the stain of treason, even hiding his relationship with his mother in order to do so. I pay his salary to his mother, and ignore exactly who it is that I pay his salary to.”

Put like that, it was obvious that Miss Lí reminded Xiao Jingyan of Concubine Jing alone in the Palace and had the Grand Duke’s complete sympathy, so it was pointless for Mei Changsu to argue further. “Miss Lí is not a great problem, but her superior is the chief demoness of Jinling. I do not think a _Fangshi_ as Emperor would be favourable to them.”

“That is where Sir Su has overestimated demons,” Jingyan shook his head. “ _Fangshi_ and demons both belong in strange conditions. Besides, be it human, demon, Immortal or devil – the difference is all in the heart. Unlike what Confucius refused to discuss, demons and devils, and their opposites, do exist – they must therefore be integrated into society.”

Mei Changsu decided to ignore bringing up the fact that the few demon-integrated societies in history nearly always disintegrated into bloodbaths. “Your Highness has a long road ahead then. Does Your Highness have anything else to mention then?”

“With the fireworks factory’s explosion... Madame Jiang set it off in order to complain about the noise,” Xiao Jingyan commented. “Cai Quan is very interested in charging her with destruction of property, but the reason why demonic wrongdoings have proliferated for so long and was always settled in the Underworld is... extremely clear.”

“The law of Great Liang explicitly covers wrongdoing by humans,” Mei Changsu acknowledged. “Demons exist, but they are regarded on the same level as, say, trees and rocks. In the case of a demonic crime, the presumption is that a spirit or demon, by nature existing outside of human society, cannot be judged for a crime and cannot serve as testimony for a crime in human courts, unless provided secondary evidence which would lead to a conviction. It is also for this reason why most of the cases reported by ghosts usually concern the locations of hidden corpses – or outright revenge. Assistant Minister Cai-”

“Minister Cai,” Xiao Jingyan clarified. “Cai Quan received the promotion recently because of the former Minister Qi switching out He Wenxin with a substitute – allegedly, on the same night that Madame Jiang was burning down the factory, for the exact same reason of escaping Madame Jiang’s wrath for killing people in Spiral Market Street. I imagine that Madame Jiang’s infamy now rivals your fame in Jinling. Perhaps Prince Yu will consult you on how to eliminate her and thus win the imperial favour.”

“Then Prince Yu will be disappointed,” Mei Changsu huddled into his blankets. “Madame Jiang has always been famous, but not for the reason of being untouchable by the law. Have you heard of the Northern Zhou?”

“Northern Zhou?” Xiao Jingyan frowned. “That was... when I was a child, I think. The Marquis Yan set out...”

“Thirty years ago, Great Yu, Northern Yan, and Northern Zhou formed an alliance, intending to conquer Great Liang and divide it between them,” Mei Changsu reminded him.

“There was a great disparity between their military power and ours, we were outnumbered five to one, and soon, their army had breached our borders and invaded into our land,” Xiao Jingyan picked up. “Great Liang sent an envoy, twenty years old at the time. With the imperial rod in his hand and only a hundred men by his side, he crossed into the enemy camps dressed in raw silk robes and cap, with his hatchet hanging at his waist and plum blossoms blooming in his wake. The Emperor of Great Yu marvelled at his courage and commanded for him to be brought into the royal presence. The Marquis Yan debated the lords of Great Yu into silence, his tongue sharp as a knife. At the same time...”

“-At the same time, the Northern Zhou royal clan of Yuan was exterminated to the ninth grade of relation, their emperor’s royal blood spilling over his dragon robe and dragon chair, the imperial seal shattered at his head,” Mei Changsu took over where Xiao Jingyan faltered. “The already precarious alliance, made even more unstable at the Marquis Yan’s efforts, tore itself apart. In the bloody remnants, plum trees took root and began to grow – hence, the cliff where the last battle took place was called the plum blossom cliffs, the Cliffs of Mei.”

“But what does this have to do with...” Xiao Jingyan’s eyes snapped to Mei Changsu in realisation. “You mean...”

“A few connections in the pugilist world hinted at it.” Mei Changsu neglected to mention that he had set up a connection to Langya Hall to pester Lin Chen again. “There is no proof – one thing about demonic expertise at uncovering evidence, is that they learned from destroying evidence in the first place. However, we can guess that the reason why Madame Jiang has retained a residence in Jinling for all these years was not to openly challenge imperial authority.”

Xiao Jingyan scowled. “You mean that, in exchange for committing regicide of an opposing state’s emperor, she was granted royal permission to live in the capital, the divine city where the Emperor resides.”

“It seems to be a recurring pattern with her,” Mei Changsu tutted. “Langya Hall tells me that they have records of an Officer Jiang being granted permission to live in Luoyang during the reign of Cao Zhi, right around Sima Yi’s Liaodong campaign. Again, one Jiang Beike was granted royal permission to live in Jiankang around the time of the Battle of Fei River. Again, no proof exists that they are one and the same, and records from before the Three Kingdoms are scattered. However, it looks like Madame Jiang has the incredible habit of blackmailing rulers for permission to live in royal capitals, in exchange for turning the tides of important battles.”

“That is despicable,” Xiao Jingyan snapped. “To defy the law so openly requires punishment!”

“That is useful,” Mei Changsu corrected. “Even without Official Cai, we can blackmail her, and by extension most of Jinling’s demonic community, to stay on the sidelines of the succession fight. With Minister Cai’s case of property destruction against her, the spotlight would shift to the legal statuses of demons as the main crux of the case. Even if the case only ends with her paying up the fines, it would imply that demons are subject to the law with all its protections and responsibilities... there are many more implications behind such laws, but the final result would be that Lie Zhanying can openly serve as the son of a human-demon union.”

Xiao Jingyan bowed deeply. “May Sir Su teach me.”

The lesson was unable to progress, because at that moment Li Gang rushed in with a report of the Prince Yu’s arrival and refusal to leave, citing important news.

“I’ll hide in the secret passage,” Xiao Jingyan left in a flash, unable to hear Mei Changsu’s exclamation of inarticulate frustration.

* * *

“This king came to visit Sir Su at his sickbed today,” Prince Yu announced before Mei Changsu could get up. “Sir Su can relax.”

“...”

“...”

“...did you know that impersonating royalty is a crime?” Mei Changsu finally said. “Your Painted Skin art is remarkable, but what if the real Prince Yu walks in? The Royal Court is already paranoid without you borrowing other people’s faces to copy. Of all the bad habits for that Lin Chen to learn from you, why the flippancy?! Choose a different face next time, _Madame Jiang_.”

“Why are you nagging so much?” Madame Jiang’s voice issued from the prince’s lips. “If it wasn’t for General Nie’s case, would I bother to join hands with that little Lin boy, much less a little _Shijiexian_ like you? I don’t even know what kind of Divine Talent are you, to need so much help. Not even Mengde needed so much to handle one Zhuge Kongming.”

“That time at the Thousand Autumns Pavilions – no, I should say, the Clam Building in the Sea City, we made a bet that night after we escaped your trap,” Mei Changsu retorted. “My bet with you was that, should I survive three strikes of lightning, then you would assist me in covering up my background. To that end, you already revealed me to three others.”

“Why are you so fussy? How else was lightning supposed to strike you? Aren’t you alive after crossing that disaster?” It was so strange, that the features of the man who usually inspired disgust now had some childish, if sadistic delight in them. “Haven’t you heard of the ‘four knows’? All secrets are known by you and I, and Heaven and Earth.”

Mei Changsu sighed, drawing up the blankets. “Could you wear a different face?”

Sighing, the Prince Yu pulled gloves off of his hands, revealing a pair of hands coarsened by weather and war. Mei Changsu watched as those hands pulled at Prince Yu’s face on the head.

“Do you know the difference between Painted Skin and the art of transformation?” Madame Jiang’s question was mild.

“Painted Skin places a false face over the demon’s human form for which they take as their own,” Mei Changsu narrated. “The art of transformation completely changes the body. The latter art is often learned in an incomplete fashion, leaving some part of the body the same as the user’s original form – for example, tails, claws, and scales are often left out. Painted Skin offers protection, and even hides the user from Demon-Revealing Mirrors, but its chief liability is the need to consume hearts to maintain this skin. That is all I know.”

“Fox demons have to eat human hearts.” Half of Prince Yu’s face tore, and Mei Changsu looked away from the mess. “But I am a clam spirit, with the ability to create my own shell, which is also how pearls are formed.

“My Painted Skin art, strictly speaking, does not create a skin, but a mask,” Xiao Jingyan’s voice took over, and Mei Changsu nearly leapt out of bed as he turned over and quickly turned his back again on what looked like Xiao Jingyan stripping out of his fifth brother’s clothes. “Like how shells can exist independently of the animal which created them, my masks do not rot, which was why clamshell is said to have a purifying effect on spirits. This is the reason why shells like mine were used as mortar for mausoleum walls, and why I can openly offer this service to demons. The only problem is that shells do not age openly, so adjusting these faces require calculation.”

“You can wear anyone’s face except Xiao Jingyan’s,” Mei Changsu retorted, while his back was still assiduously turned.

“This is the only mask I currently have on me, since I already tore up the Prince Yu mask.” There was a hard grunt.

When Mei Changsu turned around, Xiao Jingyan lounged in the chair placed for guests, clearly dressed in his casual robes and admiring his own face in a small mirror set in a folding frame. The frame closed over the mirror’s surface. “I think I get why you want him to be Emperor. Shall we conclude our affairs before those two in your secret passage get impatient?”

“Very well,” Mei Changsu grimaced. “My mother’s bones?”

“Treated them in salt water.”

“The Southern Chu group?”

“Set to arrive soon.”

“What about the monkeys?”

“Ah,” Xiao Jingyan’s fingers snapped. “They’re here. Tonight, your subordinates should tell you all about the terrifying monkeys set to enter the palace tomorrow. Prince Yu or Grand Duke Jing – the real ones – would have told you themselves, but you’ve been refusing most, if not all, guests to the point that the snake is desperate. He tried to threaten me with Qin Banruo.”

“I presume a little fox is no trouble?”

“Qin Banruo is trained in the ‘Heart of the Perfection of Wisdom’ style.” the head bobbed in a shake. “My speciality is deception and illusions, while hers is clarity of the heart, which fox demons seem to take better to. It’s the first time I’ve seen a fox trained in the Buddhist style. That Xuanji was clearly making her a weapon to handle me. Otherwise, what kind of name is Banruo?2”

“Can you handle her, or is one Qin Banruo enough to overpower Madame Jiang Beike?” Mei Changsu gave an acerbic reply. “If not, Lin Chen can still take over.”

“You already received three strikes of lightning. Obviously the bet must be honoured,” an out-of-character smirk graced Xiao Jingyan’s face, twisting it to a sight which both chilled and heated Mei Changsu’s entrails. “You should be more worried about the owner of this face. Apparently, the Emperor plans to pit him against the monkeys from the Mountain of Flowers and Fruits.”

“...huh?”

* * *

**1 ZH:  吃闭门羹 (chī bì mén gēng) – Chinese expression which means ‘to be refused entrance’.**

**2 The title of the Heart Sutra is sometimes presented in Chinese as  般若波羅蜜多心經 (bō rě bō luó mì duō xin jing), which is a Sanskrit-Chinese translation of ‘Heart of the Perfection of Wisdom’. Banruo is therefore the Sanskrit ‘Prajñā’/wisdom translated to Chinese.**


	27. 己丑: Match

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “The Prince Jing manage to draw with that demon monkey, and already he received a promotion to Royal Prince with five pearls! Imagine what the Emperor would give if His Highness had won!”

#  己丑: Match

“Many of my friends, whether dead or alive, all hope that you will win.”

Meng Zhi’s reason for putting his lot with the Grand Duke became most clear. It reverberated about the extent of the secret passage that some chance had placed the Grand Duke and the Grand Commander in together.

“So, you wish to stand with your friends.”

“Yes.” Meng Zhi only offered his fists, cupped together in a salute of respect. “May Your Highness believe in my sincerity.”

“The path will be dangerous,” Xiao Jingyan breathed. “No man knows what will happen. Meng Zhi, even like this, are you still willing to follow me?”

“No matter what happens,” Meng Zhi gritted his teeth. “I will not give up, not even in death. Yet, maybe because Sir Mei of the river’s left has chosen you, I feel that we have a greater chance of winning.”

“...thank you, then.”

* * *

“What did Prince Yu come for?” the real Xiao Jingyan demanded after he received the all-clear sign and left the secret passage. “And why is Commander Meng here?”

“He was here to visit,” Mei Changsu shrugged. “He seemed... receptive.”

There was a suggestion to which Xiao Jingyan frowned further.

“Either way, it looks like Jinling is receiving its first demonic ambassadors,” Mei Changsu continued over the Grand Duke. “Your Highness will be more troubled, since it was proposed that the two parties conduct a duel by single combat to decide how to proceed. Your Highness will likely be selected to fight for Liang.”

“Wait, why His Highness?” Meng Zhi protested. “I’m the one on the Langya List! No offence meant,” he added to the prince in question.

“This king is interested to know the exact reasons as well,” Xiao Jingyan stiffly demanded.

“Historically, demon kings may be roughly analogous to either bandit groups, or natural disasters,” Mei Changsu explained. “History books themselves detail a unilateral exchange in such cases where demons appear before the human Emperor’s courts – either humans send in the armies and Fangshi and Taoists, and crush the demons after a long and protracted battle; failing that, the demons come and wreck a few villages, only leaving after receiving adequate tribute or some other supernatural aid intervenes for humans. The political structure of demons can therefore said to be crude and resembling bandit kings who win their positions by brute strength and power, which only works because demons live far longer than ordinary humans, and gain power with age.”

No matter how accurately the assessment of the group from the Mountain of Flowers and Fruits were as monkeys, the fact remained that: first, they represented an actual political entity from far away, and second, their king – however squashed he currently was – still had a resounding reputation across the three realms. Countries had risen and fallen at the hands of demons younger and less powerful than the Handsome Monkey King of the Water Curtain Cave in the Mountain of Flowers of Fruits.

“Only during the Three Kingdoms did demons begin to side with the kingdoms of Wei, Wu, or Shu, accepting recognition of petty warlords and fighting for any of the kingdoms in exchange,” Xiao Jingyan frowned to Meng Zhi, who looked rather lost at the lecture. “Great Yu and the Eastern Sea practices such contracts frequently.”

“What is the Mountain of Flowers and Fruits?” Mei Changsu asked them. “Only the most famous kingdom of demons in the past five hundred years. Any City God temple will reply that. Where is their king? Not here. The purpose of this duel is thus: in the absence of the king whose own power equals an entire army, Great Liang can negotiate as a superior nation to the inferior nation of the Mountain – providing, of course, that they win.”

“But,” and here Mei Changsu intervened, “this is a duel by single combat – the Marquis Yan would not step in, and not even the Emperor can intercede with him. And, if Commander Meng is fielded and he loses, then Great Liang would become the greatest joke on earth as our foremost martial arts expert lost to a monkey.”

“You don’t have to say it like that!” Meng Zhi hotly retorted. “Monkeys are hard to fight!”

“Your Highness is the most expedient option, because as a _Fangshi_ you can fight on par with demons,” Mei Changsu continued. “Secondly, in the worst case that you lose, our Liang court can save face by claiming that they did not field their greatest expert. In the case that you can make a tie with their fighter, the Liang court can save even more face. The Emperor still does not favour Your Highness much – he would put you forward as a shield against this arrow.”

Xiao Jingyan frowned, but not at the jab to his status in Court. “Sir Su did not mention what happens if I win.”

“...winning would be counterproductive to the succession fight,” Mei Changsu slowly spoke after a while. “Should Your Highness win, you would prove to the world that a prince of Liang, an unfavoured son at that, can fight on equal terms with demons who served under the one who claims himself Great Sage Equal to Heaven. At that point, you would be equal at least to Zhang Jue, who formed the Yellow Turbans. The existence of power like that in the secular field is tantamount to open rebellion.”

Meng Zhi’s face fell. “This is unfair to His Highness! How is Great Liang supposed to show itself off when His Highness is faced with this kind of fight?”

“That was what the Prince Yu was visiting me about,” Mei Changsu rubbed his nose. “He was asking...”

“You can say it,” Xiao Jingyan pointed out. “Sabotage is a military strategy. Nasty, but when the option is being rent apart...”

“I told him what I will tell you: it is promising, but monkeys are not humans,” Mei Changsu pointed out. “The resulting fallout is too terrible to imagine. The best we can do is to research them and find a way to combat them.”

* * *

Within the end of the first month, the fight which was fought to a draw between the Grand Duke Jing Xiao Jingyan and their white-furred representative quickly became the favourite tale of story-tellers across Jinling. The duel, which took place at the stage outside the Phoenix Building of the Royal Palace, shocked the heavens and moved the earth with the prowess displayed on both sides.1

The story even made rounds in its original form, needing no oil or vinegar to be added2 for the populace to cheer behind the exploits of Great Liang’s own hero, the seventh prince Xiao Jingyan.

“Fire and force clashed with fur and iron,” Jinling’s foremost narrator Ye Tianfang spoke to the Bamboo Teahouse filled to bursting with listeners. “The monkeys hoot for their champion, Fen – not the coins, but the character for ‘torn body and crushed bones’3! They wanted to rend our champion apart into eight pieces! Our soldiers could only yell in the hopes that the Royal Prince Jing would receive the feelings and support of Great Liang.”

“The Prince Jing manage to draw with that demon monkey, and already he received a promotion to Royal Prince with five pearls!” someone called. “Imagine what the Emperor would give if His Highness had won!”

“Why did the Emperor send the hero into battle, Father?” a young boy by the sidelines asked.

“Quiet, boy. Obviously His Highness could not stand the demons’ insults and went to teach them a lesson for our Liang!”

Far away from the storyteller, the little Grand Duke Mu Qing told his elder sister: “ _Jie_ , His Highness the Grand Duke Jing should have been made crown prince, or at least a seven-pearl prince. That fight was really good to look at! Very majestic, awe-inspiring!”

“Qing’er, what do you know?” Mu Nihuang reproached. “Single combat is not a marker of command prowess, nor is it a mark of good governance.”

“His Highness really risked his life in that duel against the monkeys’ champion!” Mu Qing argued. “Though they both fell, he didn’t lose the face of our Great Liang a bit! Put with the pacification of riots at the Northern Hamlet last time, everyone is saying that Prince Jing should have been promoted long beforehand. And now, so fast after that life-risking duel, he has to go supervise the defence rotations at the West Mountains?”

“Considering that his opponent could make the ground shake with one fist and jump as high as three  _zhang_ , the prince acquitted himself more than adequately,” Mu Nihuang shook her head. “In military achievements, of course none of the princes can win against Prince Jing. Besides that, Concubine Jing just received a promotion to Consort.”

On another level of the Bamboo Teahouse, Shen Zhui was listening to Cai Quan muttering curses at length.

“His military achievements should have earned him that rank a long time ago,” Minister Cai was into his third bottle, it seemed. “Her Imperial Highness Consort Jing as well. His Majesty should have added two more pearls there.”

“Perhaps if he won,” Shen Zhui demurred. “You are drunk, Minister Cai.”

“N- No,” Cai Quan slurred. “The earth was shaking. Ol’ Shen, this is the closest to that I, this Ol’ Cai, has ever come to believe in gods.”

“ _Aiyoh_ , Minister Cai, aren’t you trying to bring up a case against that Madame Jiang in the Northern Hamlet?”

“T- That’s different,” Cai Quan thumped his cup against the tabletop to make his point. “Demons are demons – they wreck kingdoms, they kill people. Gods and immortals... they exist so far above us in the mountains and clouds, and they never care about the problems of mortals like us.”

“Do they have to?” Shen Zhui contemplated. “The last time gods actually intervened on earth was... the Zhou dynasty, yes?”

“When humans ascend, they becomes gods and immortals,” Cai Quan reflected in his cup of Du Kang. “But humans have a greater tendency to descend, and become demons and ghosts. Perhaps it is the way of the world, perhaps it is apathy... the common people themselves need to sustain the foundations of Liang, but it is through the inspiration of gods come to earth that we can even think about it.”

Shen Zhui immediately changed the subject, for the sakes of both himself and this Old Cai. “Have you seen the Chancellor Li’s new  _Choosing a Bureau_ educational game?4 I don’t know what this old fox is thinking...”

* * *

The one farthest from thinking about gods descended onto earth was not, in fact, the Emperor – it was the Marquess of Ning, Xie Yu. With the discovery of the fireworks factory and the subsequent further grounding of the Crown Prince, his control of the political board was already slipping.

“Everyone is singing the Prince of Jing’s praises,” he reported to the Emperor. “At this point, the commoners will only look at the Prince of Jing, and not at Your Majesty.”

“Eh, nonsense.” Xiao Xuan defended, a proud twinkle in his eye. “Consort Jing tells me that my royal son is still recuperating at home! He might not survive the battle! We won the respect of those sons and grandsons of monkeys, in exchange for one of our country’s top generals?”

“It was a battle only His Highness Prince Jing could fight,” Xie Yu reluctantly conceded.

“Consort Jing has been worried about His Highness,” Head Eunuch Gao reluctantly conceded. “She has been sending medicinal soups. Apparently the fight really took a lot out of His Highness.”

“And look!” the Emperor brandished a petition. “The Southern Chu court sent in a request for a marriage alliance! We don’t have any marriageable princesses – they’re clearly trying to get their claws into Jingyan! Their Royal Diviner will definitely try to pull him over!”

“With his personality, I fear that Prince Jing would not agree.”

Xie Yu’s words were not meant as a statement of support – it was, in fact, one of the rare honest statements which reflected Xie Yu’s military opinion of Xiao Jingyan as an upright, honest and filial son who was unable to adapt to court. Perhaps it was best to draw an analogy to Xiang Yu – he has courage but lacks tactics5, and was ambushed on four sides of the court6. Maybe if the Prince Jing was more malleable... Xie Yu sighed internally.

As a military man, the lord that Xie Yu backed now could not compare with Prince Jing. That was alright – it left him to control the troops, and those who controlled the troops controlled the world.

“Heroes are weak to the charms of beautiful women.7”

The Emperor thoughtfully stroked his beard. “I recall, Jingyan’s consort died early, yes? And he only has a side-consort in his household... Marquess, I will have to trouble you with inspecting the troop rotations by the West Mountains.”

“E- Your Majesty?”

“If I send Jingyan at this point, the commoners will think that I’m a horrible father,” the Emperor dismissed. “It’s only a few days out. Don’t tell me you can’t bear to leave Liyang alone for even a few days?”

“...Your subject hears and obeys,” Xie Yu was internally wishing for the Prince Jing to have inherited some other gift than creating flames – fast healing, anything to recover and take over these chores. Perhaps the Capital Patrols would hold out long enough...

* * *

“Were you faking or not?” Mei Changsu heard Meng Zhi’s strident demand as he exited the secret passage and waited behind the bookcase in Grand Duke- no, _Prince_ Jing’s study. “I knew you weren’t supposed to win, but that monkey really whacked you hard. And threw you. And whacked you hard. Have you seen that cudgel? I’ve never seen a wooden cudgel break steel at the Shaolin temple.”

“General Nie was very accommodating, but the name of the Violent Wind General was not in vain.”

“...General Nie? Xia Dong’s husband, that Nie Fēng? Nie Fēng was alive, and he’s the monkey?!”

“Unless the monkeys stole the bracelet of Nie Feng- _dágē._ ”

“And he was wearing it?! Isn’t he dead?”

“When you saw the monkey, would normal people be looking at their wrists? I found out when his forearm hit me in the face.”

“Huh? Oh, that’s true.”

Mei Changsu pulled at the bell installed within the passageway, only to hear two indrawn breaths and then Meng Zhi’s face poked out as the bookcase shifted.

“You’re here for your daily visit?”

“How did you-”

“His Highness told me.”

Mei Changsu stepped through the door into the imperial Jing residence. Slumped over the back of a stone lion, Xiao Jingyan waved, and tried to get up, though the stone lion growled and poked at the crutch next to him.

“Sir Su, you’ve come again.”

“It was Su’s fault for not accounting for all variables properly, to the point where Your Highness has to fight personally.”

There were very prominent scores over Xiao Jingyan’s bared forearms, and even the outline of one bite-mark. The prince wore his casual clothes, but even those could not hide the scores and scores of hemp bandages on his person and – Mei Changsu winced – the length of a heated burn, where an iron cudgel unwittingly heated by conjured flames had whacked the Prince Jing along his left shoulder and torso. Xiao Jingyan seemed less like the hero of Liang, and more like he had survived a tiger attack – which, in some ways, was also very heroic.

Mei Changsu reached out to trace the burn mark, contemplation in his features. The cold pads of his fingertips seemed to thrum across the tendons under the burned skin, and they tightened under his stroke.

“...Sir Su?”

Mei Changsu immediately withdrew his fingers. “Pray Your Highness forgives Su. Su was... thinking about the death toll from fighting demons.”

“I tell you, luckily the Emperor found his conscience and sent Xie Yu on that troop inspection instead,” Meng Zhi continued. “Everyone in Jinling is praising our prince as some hero quelling the demons. I even heard a minister say that Your Highness should have gotten seven pearls!”

“The Emperor cannot afford to relent here,” Mei Changsu assessed, sitting down after a nod from Xiao Jingyan and a pointed stare. The stone lion’s growl simplified things – it was either Mei Changsu sat down, or prepare to become a lion’s cushion. “Were it something like, say, Tuoba Hao challenging the Grand Commander, it would still be between humans, and worth keeping the status quo. Demons are, however, beings who prioritise power and rank – powerful demons thus style themselves as kings after the Zhou monarchs. The moment our friends from the Mountain of Flowers and Fruits – what did the old monkey call himself?”

“Sun Nan,” Xiao Jingyan automatically replied. “Surnamed Sun, as in the animal radical and ‘grandson’, and Nan as in ‘cedar tree’. The monkey clan also calls themselves the Sun clan.”

“You heard more than me,” Meng Zhi hissed. “I only heard as far as Fen, as in ‘tear apart and crush bones’. The entire stage was sacrificed for this duel only to end in a draw; he’s really worth that name. Hey, did you know, Sir Su? That Fen is actually-”

“The draw was worth some measure of peace,” Xiao Jingyan interrupted.

This drew a confused frown from Meng Zhi, whose head slowly turned from Mei Changsu to Xiao Jingyan and back.

“...the... monkeys’ champion?” Xiao Jingyan slowly pronounced, almost lost. “He is G- General Nie. He... he is here, as a guest of my household. The excuse is that we mutually admire each other. He got lost... escaping from the Cliffs of Mei... and was taken in by the monkeys on that mountain far away. They fed him, treated him... they brought him back here. The poison, they said that they cannot cure it, but were their king around...”

“I see,” Mei Changsu said, because there was a lot of things that Mei Changsu could not say before Xiao Jingyan and still remain Mei Changsu.

“I haven’t faced many demons,” Meng Zhi frowned. “I, Meng Zhi, based my reputation as a human who has never done anything worth feeling guilty over, and do not fear ghosts knocking in the middle of the night. Is their king very terrifying?”

“The sons and grandsons of a monkey who escorted General Nie here under the guise of ambassadors are kind, and have heavy protection,” Mei Changsu reasoned.

“But he wasn’t there!” Meng Zhi exclaimed.

Mei Changsu blinked slowly. “Grand Commander Meng. If the king himself was there, that party would not be an ambassadorial party. It would be a military expedition. General Nie also did not learn many demonic arts from the sons and grandsons of that monkey, and he already injured a fully trained  _Fangshi_ like this. What about a demon king?”

“His Majesty must be tearing his hair out in worry.”

“As a father,” Mei Changsu whispered, “or as a monarch?”

* * *

**1 ZH:  惊天动地 (jīng tiān dòng dì) – world-shaking.**

**2 ZH:  添醋加油 (tiān cù jiā yóu) – to exaggerate details.**

**3 ZH:  粉身碎骨 (fěn shēn suì gǔ) – Chinese expression equivalent to dying horribly.**

**4  升官图 (sheng guan tu) is like the Ancient Chinese equivalent of Monopoly with the Chinese bureaucracy, the winning objective being to gain the highest bureaucratic position as well as the most prestige and monetary funds compared to the other players. It was introduced around 836 CE, but its predecessor is Cai Xuan Ge, which is mentioned here, and the general intentions of its use as a pedagogical tool probably appeals to people in the Imperial Academy of China, since education around this period is a Big Deal.**

**5 ZH:  有勇无谋 (yǒu yǒng wú móu) – roughly equivalent to Mei Changsu’s own assessment of Xiao Jingyan as 有情有义没脑子 (you qing you yi mei nao zi) ‘have passion and loyalty but no brains’.**

**6ZH:  四面楚歌 (sì miàn chǔ gē) – used to describe someone in a desperate situation without help.**

**7ZH:  英雄难过美人关 (yīng xióng nán guò měi rén guān)**


	28. 庚寅: Pledge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Mother...” Xiao Jingrui timidly pulled his hand free. “I- I don’t want this to change things. Isn’t our current life very good? Even if I am the Xie family’s son or the Zhuo family’s son... what would it change?”
> 
> “...the truth.” Madam Zhuo’s shoulders slumped. “No matter the result, I still raised you for over twenty years. This will not change anything. I just want to know... please, Jingrui.”

#  庚寅: Pledge

“Welcome to Thousand Autumns Pavilion. I am called Lí with a single character, and I will be your-”

“You’re the ones who run the paternity tests, yes?”

“Ah...yes, Madam. May the both of you please sign these slips to indicate consent.” Brush, ink and slips of paper already bearing a promise of consent to the tests were produced.

Miss Lí looked at the beautiful and elegant middle-aged woman as she signed the paper. The woman, clearlty used to life in the pugilist world, carried a sword at her left hip over her beautiful dress even in the middle of the Liang capital. Her eyes tracked the older woman’s hand to the young man she had a death grip upon.

“Mother Zhuo, do we really need to do this?” the identified Xiao Jingrui complained after reluctantly writing down his own name on a separate form.

“It would set my mind at ease,” Madam Zhuo, the wife of Zhuo Dingfeng and mistress of Tianquan Manor, sighed in reply. “The Marquis Yan told me to bring you here for the test. What do we need to bring out? Blood? Hair? Bone? Flesh?”

“The price for one direct maternity test will be about half a string of coppers, but the Marquis Yan has already indicated his willingness to shoulder the fees.” Miss Lí dragged out a tray of two clay cylinders, pulling out two sticks topped with cotton. “Saliva is enough to conduct such a test. Please wipe the inside of your mouth with this and give us the samples.”

Madam Zhuo’s grip slackened. Doubt immediately appeared in her eyes.

“Mother...” Xiao Jingrui timidly pulled his hand free. “I- I don’t want this to change things. Isn’t our current life very good? Even if I am the Xie family’s son or the Zhuo family’s son... what would it change?”

“...the truth.” Madam Zhuo’s shoulders slumped. “No matter the result, I still raised you for over twenty years. This will not change anything. I just want to know... please, Jingrui.”

Madam Zhuo took one stick and wiped the inside of her mouth, dropping it into the container. Miss Lí immediately sealed the container with a paper and painted Madam Zhuo’s name, and the date and time on the paper.

Reluctantly, Xiao Jingrui followed her lead, watching as his bottle was sealed in the same manner. The whole tray was moved to behind the counter of Thousand Autumns Pavilion, disappearing from his view.

“It will take time to confirm the tests,” Miss Lí then said. “Would Madam Zhuo prefer us to send a runner to your address once we have the results?”

“No.”

“In that case, we will have the results in seven days’ time.” Miss Lí bowed. “It has been a pleasure receiving your custom, madam.”

Miss Lí waited until the mother and son were shown out. The moment the front doors were closed, she fled up a flight of stairs by the side to the pavilion’s first floor, tray and samples in hand.

“They’ve come.”

She held up the tray with the samples to the occupant.

Madame Jiang sat by the window, contemplating the sights of Spiral Market Street. At Miss Lí’s appearance, Madame Jiang only blinked.

“Yes,” she murmured. “ _They_ have found out.”

“Understood.” Miss Lí frowned. “Madame... we have received a lot of clients after this test. Should we raise the price?”

“It has been the first time,” Madame Jiang mused, “since a technology threatened the stability of human society. I suppose that introducing this technique to human society would have unforeseen consequences.”

“The ten thousand things of the world do not bend to human laws,” was Miss Lí’s diplomatic reply. “If tragedy happens, how is it then the fault of the technique? The fault lies in the stars.”

The clerk ascended halfway up behind Miss Lí. “Madame Jiang, Mister Thirteen and Miss Gong have come to see you.”

“Not seeing,” Madame Jiang drawled.

Ba-ge trembled. “B- But, Mister Thirteen...”

“Hmm?”

“...they came to give their New Year’s greetings?”

“They did not come earlier or later, but now?” Madame Jiang rolled her eyes in a manner which belied her serious tone. “Obviously they were following Madam Zhuo, and already found out her purpose in coming here. See them off!”

“Yes, Madame.”

“Oh,” Madame Jiang commented before the clerk retreated. “These seven days, watch out for fire. We can’t afford to have the integrity of these tests to be called in question... at least, from the human side. Lí, send a message to the Mu manor. They owe me a cache of books.”

* * *

The first day after Madam Zhuo’s visit, a young woman walked into the Thousand Autumns Pavilion bearing a message for the proprietor. The missive was shown to the other staff by Madame Jiang herself.

Seated before a _Weiqi_ board, Madame Jiang delicately placed a white stone and seized a black stone. “The Grand Princess Liyang actually sent this to us.”

Miss Lí and Ba-ge exchanged looks. “What do we do?” Miss Lí asked first.

The letter was promptly burned before a candle.

“When that messenger comes tomorrow,” said the Madame, “tell her that we didn’t receive the message.”

* * *

The second day, barely two hours after the female messenger left, she returned with a thunderous-looking Zhuo Dingfeng to face the only male clerk.

“Welcome to Thousand Autumns Pavilion. I am called Ba-ge, and I will be your-”

“Is my wife receiving medical treatment from you?” he challenged.

“This old master has graced our Pavilion for the first time,” Ba-ge took out a stele and a brush loaded with ink. “Our pavilion offers multiple services, including the face-changing surgery. Will the old master state your requirements?”

“I’m not here about _that_ ,” Zhuo Dingfeng growled. “I, Zhuo Dingfeng, was born with this face and it is with this face that I shall die with, unlike a little white face1 like yours. I’m here because my wife apparently decided to get a paternity test!”

Ba-ge did not react openly to the insult. “I am sorry that we cannot help Master Zhuo. Our Pavilion’s services include confidentiality for our patients.”

“She is my wife!”

There are many women who require our services, but none of them are your wife, and everyone has a right to their secrets. Ba-ge did not say all of this – his eyebrows expressed them all. “Will this old master require anything else?”

“So you will not speak?”

“No.”

Zhuo Dingfeng drew his sword, already prepared to slash down on Ba-ge’s head if only for another man to parry the blow with his own sheathed blade.

“Master Zhuo should keep your weapon immediately.” Framed in the doors of Thousand Autumns Pavilion, Mei Changsu gave a weak smile. “The proprietor of this establishment is not an easy person to handle, demoness or not.”

Zhuo Dingfeng kept his own weapon with a glower then. “Chief Mei. I see that you have extended your stay in the capital. Are you searching for a new physician?”

“Thousand Autumns Pavilion boasts a number of medical services, but medicine requires more than surgery sometimes,” Mei Changsu’s answer was equally light. “Zhen Ping, check on him.”

The now-identified bodyguard next to Mei Changsu scanned Ba-ge. “He’s fine?”

“I was not referring to the one holding the Poisonfeather bird claw.”

Zhuo Dingfeng immediately gave a start then, checking all over himself. Behind the counter, Ba-ge slowly showed the claw in his palm, and slipped it back into his sleeve.

“Were you not afraid of offending the pugilist world?” Mei Changsu asked Ba-ge.

“The Thousand Autumns Pavilion has a reputation,” was the only reply.

“This reputation will not give way?”

Ba-ge did not respond.

“This concerns the stability of a family.”

Ba-ge blinked.

“The politics of the Palace will spill to here when you release those results in five days,” Mei Changsu pressed.

Eyes darted around. “That is not for me to decide.”

“And killing Master Zhuo is for you to decide?”

“Standing orders are to be followed.”

“Even if they lead to death?”

“That will depend on the will of the heavens.”

At this point, Mei Changsu started in surprise. “Oh? You are extremely confident that you will not be decapitated?”

“It would not be the first time,” Ba-ge serenely replied, “and it will not be the last.”

* * *

The third day, Ba-ge shoved a cup of heated water into a harried Xiao Jingrui’s hands and sat down, listened to a halting speech and a plea to retract the test.

“You can even keep the money,” he said.

Ba-ge only pulled out the accounts ledger. “Master Xiao has not purchased any services from our Pavilion. Would you like to begin?”

Xiao Jingrui blushed and fled.

The next day, he came back with Yan Yujin, and Miss Lí arranged a private room where they amused themselves with the pavilion’s book of facial features. The subject turned to the topic of facial features and heritability in the Inscrutable Register.

“I look like my parents, don’t I?” Xiao Jingrui had a woebegone expression directed towards Yan Yujin.

“Heritability of facial features can skip generations,” Miss Lí replied. “Our test relies on the original principle of _yin_ and _yang_ , isolating the essences in the Inscrutable Register to compare to the parent. We have yet to fail.”

Xiao Jingrui left.

The night of the fourth day, Ba-ge’s claw dug itself into three saboteurs, and the bodies were disposed of, the details of which we do not need to know. The weapons they carried, however, were left at the doorstep of the Marquess of Ning’s manor, lying next to a dead rat.

* * *

“I heard,” Qin Banruo commented over the counter on the afternoon of the fifth day, “that Thousand Autumns Pavilion is offering paternity tests? How effective are they?”

“The knowledge of phenomena behind the test has been proven soundly,” Miss Lí smiled. “Is Miss Qin here for adjustments to your face? We are currently offering a deal for luxurious hair!”

Qin Banruo’s smile dropped.

Miss Lí only painted her nails with a deeper, glossy rust that night.

* * *

Mei Changsu came back on the sixth day. Behind him, Zhen Ping carried an entire trunk.

“The Grand Duchess Nihuang bade me to give these to your mistress,” he bowed to Miss Lí. “I hope that she will understand Her Highness’ troubles.”

“You may carry our regards to the Grand Duchess,” Miss Lí grandly announced with a bow for receiving the noble favour of the Mu family.

“In that case, you may return the favour by letting me see Madame Jiang.”

Miss Lí smiled.

By the evening, a messenger from the Mu manor arrived carrying a package.

* * *

On the seventh day, Mu Qing reclined in his cedar-wood chair in the Mu family residence. “I tell you, Sister, we could have avoided so much trouble if we handed over the board.”

“Do you have any idea where our family’s reputation would go if this came out?” the Grand Duchess Mu Nihuang snapped back. Unlike her younger brother, she was pacing around the main hall where they were discussing the current situation. “Of all times...”

“Actually, what would it mean?” Mu Qing pondered. “If Mrs Zhuo receives the test results, Jingrui’s feelings won’t change, right? Thousand Autumns Pavilion have a reputation for secrecy. You can’t even tell whose family’s girls received miraculous treatment for pimples and rashes and whitening unless they say it themselves.”

Nihuang narrowed her eyes at her younger brother. “Qing’er,” her voice was pleasant, “how would you know this?”

It finally dawned on the little Lord Mu exactly what he had just said. “Erm... the test! Should we bring it to Sir Su?”

“Don’t change the subject!”

“Ah!” Mu Qing cringed from the outburst. “The entire Spiral Market Street knows! Orchid House’s Yueli was once disfigured by smallpox and she went to the Pavilion! Willow House’s Naixin and Red Sleeve House’s Mólì as well! I even heard that a princess in Great Yu patronises their establishment in Great Yu’s territory!”

“No matter the result, Jingrui will lose one family,” Mu Nihuang berated. “That is the first reason why it cannot be released. The second reason is that Xie Yu is outside the capital right now, and if news which ruins the reputation of the Xie and Zhuo families is released at this time, the Court might think that this is targeted slander against the Eastern Palace’s faction. The third, and last, reason to prevent this test result is that, considering that the news came from demons, would raise accusations of demons acting to disrupt human society, and by extension the state of Great Liang.”

Mu Qing only frowned. “Is it really that easy to bribe the demons there? Not even Langya Hall would be stopped from answering whatever question is posed to them.”

Just as he finished speaking, a messenger servant announced his presence, and was permitted entry with an acknowledgement of Mu Qing’s presence. A package was set on the small table between the siblings, and the messenger was dismissed. The package was carefully unwrapped, the paper used to wrap it set aside, and then the Mu siblings looked together through the enclosed folded pages, its surfaces filled with solid and broken sticks.

“Eight Trigrams? No, Sister, these are hexagrams!”

Mu Qing unfolded the folded pages, which was more accurately two separate long sheets of paper folded into joined stacks. A third paper, smaller than the other two, fell out of the stacks, drifting onto the floor with its conclusion shocking the Mu siblings into silence:

_After comparing the order of hexagram combinations inscribed in the Inscrutable Registers of child and alleged mother, the profile of comparison excludes the alleged mother as the biological mother of the tested child..._

The siblings immediately shared looks.

“What does this mean?” Mu Qing held up both papers in his hands. “These are the results? They’re already out? They already did the test?”

“...I don’t know either...” Mu Nihuang blinked slowly. “But if they know already... then we just traded a copy of every _Weiqi_ record in our library for the early results? When Mrs Zhuo goes to the Pavilion tomorrow, they’ll know?”

“Jingrui will know.” Mu Qing’s smile faded. “He might be a bit sad, but like this he’ll finally know that he’s part of the Xie family, right?”

To his shock, his elder sister just leapt to her feet.

“Prepare a horse! I must go to the Su residence!”

* * *

“All of that trouble, just to receive the results anyway,” Mei Changsu compared the markings on the two different papers – he found two names at the top, one with Xiao Jingrui’s name, the other with Mrs Zhuo’s name. “If this plan did not work, we would have to set fire to the Pavilion and hope that the samples were destroyed.”

“Brother, if they can make one paper, what about a second copy?” Mu Nihuang reasoned. “A third copy? Worse, what if they just tell Mrs Zhuo?”

“Without showing these papers and hexagrams, there is no way that they can try to convince Mrs Zhuo.” Mei Changsu himself still squinted at the markings, comparing them. “There is a chance of a second copy, Nihuang, which is why you need to be able to deny what will happen tonight.”

“Tonight?” Mu Nihuang blinked. “What will happen tonight?”

“Mu Qing, Jingrui, Yujin and I will go to Miaoyin House to listen to music,” Mei Changsu counted quickly. “If we arrange things fast enough, we will all be witnesses to the burning of Thousand Autumns Pavilion.”

“Burning?!” Mu Nihuang exclaimed. “But- the results-”

“-is with us, but Zhuo Dingfeng does not know that,” Mei Changsu pointed out. “He still thinks that the test takes seven days to complete. To him, if by tonight the Pavilion is destroyed along with the evidence, then Thousand Autumns Pavilion cannot issue the results to Mrs Zhuo and thus, in his mind, Mrs Zhuo would not be fooled by demons. Of course, under normal circumstances demons would not be trusted, but the establishment of Thousand Autumns Pavilion has Langya Hall, Tianji Hall and Jiyue Hall backing their unusual medical expertise.”

“Oh.” Mu Nihuang deflated, but she still asked: “But why a house of entertainment?”

“N?” Mei Changsu shook his head. “How else are we going to be witnesses in Spiral Market Street?”

* * *

“You can still deny the test!”

Yan Yujin told his friend in Miaoyin House on the night of the Lantern Festival. This celebration was meant to be for the spring Lantern Festival, coinciding with Prince Jing’s acquitting the power of Liang against demons, but it now had another purpose to pull Xiao Jingrui from his malaise of worry. Yujin had even hosted the party at Miaoyin House, just to comfort his friend’s confusion and hurt for the next day’s shock.

“Does Mother not like me anymore?” Xiao Jingrui’s pout was so low that it could hit the floor.

“It’s... _Dàgē_ , it’s not about you.” Xie Bi started to assuage his brother’s sorrow. “Aunt Zhuo dotes on you so much, she makes new embroidered clothes for you every year! And... our mother, you will still have our mother’s love!”2

Cradling a hand-warmer and comforted with two cushions at his place, Mei Changsu merely lowered his head to peek through the screen which shaded his view of the open door. The procuress of Miaoyin House, Third Aunt Shen, could be heard talking alongside the whispers that was the accompaniment of Miaoyin House’s hustle and bustle.

Mei Changsu frowned, and pulled at his own ears before he focused again.

“Su- _xiong_?” Xiao Jingrui sat up in alarm.

“It’s too quiet outside.”

The moment Mei Changsu spoke, a loud exclamation and a laugh echoed. “ _Aiyoh_! Madame, it’s such an honour that you’ve come tonight! Our Gong Yu is busy... oh, you only came to listen to music? What an expert! I will give you a room to yourself then! Mother Zhu’s smallpox scars were cured by you, after all...”

“Speak of Cao Cao, and Cao Cao appears,” Yan Yujin’s face fell. “Miss Gong, do... demons come here often?”

“Some of our... clients appreciate music,” Gong Yu gave a demure incline of her head. “Mister Thirteen’s fame is well-known.”

“I knew that Mr Thirteen is talented!” Yan Yujin’s effusive praise failed to conceal the shaking of his hands, Mei Changsu noted. “Especially when writing music for Miss Gong!”

“Gong Yu cannot play some of Mister Thirteen’s new music yet, compared to Aunt Luo or Madame Jiang,” Gong Yu murmured. “Young Master Yan has praised Gong Yu overly.”

“Nonsense! How can those demonesses from Thousand Autumns Pavilion match Miss Gong!”

“Yujin said it right,” Jingrui was finally participating in the conversation. “Each of them are beautiful enough to cause the downfall of nations, but under that beautiful mask is a black heart of stone!”

Gong Yu’s breath caught, so quickly that only Mei Changsu heard it.

“Miss Gong looks so delicate, but the music you’ve played has the sound of wind and thunder!!” Jingrui continued. “H- How can you say that of yourself!”

“That is true, Jingrui is also a lover of music,” Mei Changsu suggested. “Perhaps for your birthday in the fourth month, why don’t you invite Miss Gong to perform at your party? Miss Gong is a matchless  _qin_ player, after all.”

“Unless competing against a demon, Gong Yu can only try,” Gong Yu then said, which broke the solemnity at last.

Yan Yujin laughed. “At that time, we can only invite a _Daoshi_ then!”

* * *

Outside stood a priest in Taoist robes, his hair done up in a simple bun. He had finished placing yellowed paper talismans on the four compass points around Thousand Autumns Pavilion. The lights from the main Spiral Market Street loomed to cast shadows which hid the building, as well as the danger within the darkness.

Splashing resounded, before a paper lantern was thrashed onto the ground. Bereft of its frame and in contact with flammable materials, flames alighted over the ground.

Wings flapped, and the main saboteur hit the ground with a muffled thump. The fatal flash of a blade came down, only to hit the plates of light armour and then be answered with another flash as chaos broke out amidst the sounds of flapping wings.

Two equally nondescript faces was lit by the flames which now encroached upon Thousand Autumns Pavilion.

“What’s going on?!”

They had cried out at the same time, and now considered each other – one in common robes of grey, and the other in light armour. As they blinked, two more men leapt out of the shadows and started to douse the flames, shouting as the night watchman ran forward, banging his gong: “Fire! Fire!”

“Zhanying?!”

“Huiying?!”

The brother sized each other up, and then looked back to the burning building and the flames leaping up. Nodding together, they then charged at the door.

“ _Mother_!”

* * *

**1 ZH:  小白脸 (xiao bai lian) – derogatory term for an attractive young man, also refers to gigolos.**

**2 Xiao Jingrui uses  娘 (niang) to refer to Mrs Zhuo, and 母亲 (mu qin) to refer to Grand Princess Liyang. Both words have different levels of familiarity and formality, and do not easily translate to English.**


	29. 辛卯: Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“I remember it. The Moonlight Treasure Box. It is the sole invention of the Third Princess Miaoshan, who later ascended to the bodhisattva Guanyin. She invented it in order to save her lover... Its most miraculous ability is, by borrowing the power of the moon’s light, to let its user shuttle across space and time, return to the past and fly towards the future.”_
> 
> _Physician Yan related with the grand theatricality of knowing that everyone – except Feiliu – was hanging on his every word. “Isn’t it wonderful?”_

#  辛卯: Party

“They’ve taken things too far, too far!”

Qin Banruo quickly wrapped up the burns and sword slashes which had gone through Miss Lí’s throat. She had been equally stunned when Huiying had come by the back door of Red Sleeve House, carrying in his arms the charred figure of Thousand Autumns Pavilion’s Miss Lí. Only Huiying’s expression had prevented her from asking too many questions as the charred demoness was brought in for treatment, but now as Huiying related everything that had happened, Qin Banruo kept muttering curses.

The charred figure gasped. “Z- Zhuo- Tianquan...”

“Zhuo Dingfeng?!” Qin Banruo pressed down. Under her touch, the sword wound quickly folded in and closed in itself.

Miss Lí eased her breathing. “Paternity test.”

“Slower, Miss Lí.” Qin Banruo’s lips thinned as she turned her head to Huiying.

“Zhuo Dingfeng did this?” Huiying’s voice chilled Qin Banruo – it was even colder than Banruo had heard before, when Prince Yu had ordered Huiying to slaughter entire families in a single night. “I cannot live under the same sky as him1! Mother, your child will bring you his head!”

Qin Banruo checked the rest of the charred skin, and drew out large splinters of wood from the meat of Miss Lí’s palm with a pained gasp, her fingers curling as burns appeared where they had touched the tip. “Peach wood! No wonder...”

“He dares-!”

“Sir Huiying, please calm down!” Qin Banruo pulled her sleeve over her hand and yanked out the splinter in Miss Lí’s other palm. “I suppose they found a time when Madame Jiang was otherwise occupied, and then struck. Where were the rest of the staff?”

“Escaped with... evidence.” Miss Lí started to breathe deeper as her wounds started to close once they were away from the peach wood, which was anathema to demons. “Paternity test. Mrs Zhuo is not Master Xiao’s mother.”

“Nn?!” Qin Banruo started. “Paternity tests can prove this?”

“Madame Jiang can prove it.” Miss Lí grabbed both sides of her head and gave it a hard yank, bone cracking as she shifted her head back to an acceptable angle. “Many thanks.”

“You are welcome.” Qin Banruo frowned. “But... why would Zhuo Dingfeng want to silence you? Madame Jiang would not announce it?”

“Madame is not at home.” Miss Lí sighed. “Not that it matters. At first, with the conclusion of this test we would have completed our responsibilities, but now...”

“Now Zhuo Dingfeng has made an enemy of all of Jinling’s demons.” Qin Banruo’s mouth twisted, a small dimple appearing in her cheek, lending her serious expression a hint of charm. “By extension, the rest of his family and associates, including Xie Yu...”

Miss Lí raised her sleeve. From it fell a complete set of bird claws, black and dripping a viscous and smelly fluid, tinted red.

“Poisonfeather bird claws?” Qin Banruo reared back, sniffing the air. Her posture relaxed; even her eyes seemed less human and more slitted. “Tomorrow we’ll have to see who’s buying rhinoceros horn then...”2

“Trying to behead me,” Miss Lí sneered through her next inhalation. “We’ll see who dies first! Ah, ah... ribs...”

Qin Banruo reached into Miss Lí’s robes and yanked out another splinter. “This is going too far,” Qin Banruo wondered. “Is it fear or hatred?”

“Does it matter?!” Miss Lí’s eyes flashed silver in response to Qin Banruo. “They’re all going to die like a dog!”

* * *

“Of all the people to offend...” Later that night, Mei Changsu was shaking his head after receiving a quick update from his subordinates. “Zhuo Dingfeng actually got in a Taoist master to handle Thousand Autumns Pavilion?”

“One of the Fulu sect.” Zhen Ping produced four charred talisman, some of them torn and wet, or charred beyond recognition. “Madame Jiang wasn’t in either, so they took the chance to barge in, kill the only resident, and burn the place down.”

“Miss Lí is hardly going to die from a sword to the throat,” Mei Changsu dismissed. “Gong Yu already confirmed that Miss Lí can put her head back after being decapitated.”

Zhen Ping’s head immediately turned towards Li Gang, who just shrugged in answer. “Chief... how are we supposed to move now?”

“This move is rash,” Mei Changsu finally said after a long moment of thinking. “Zhuo Dingfeng was unable to stop his wife from taking the test with Jingrui. These past few days of constant visits and surveillance on the Pavilion also stretched the limits of his patience, and Xie Yu is not around to plan. If this test had been reported, Mrs Zhuo would only have known that Jingrui is not her son by blood – however the rest would fall, that would have been the extent of it. Zhuo Dingfeng’s actions this time was done on his own volition, but it also has the effect of ruining any chance of demons teaming up with the Eastern Palace.”

“Miss Lí’s sons were there as well, Chief,” Li Gang now reported. “Who would have thought that Prince Yu’s Huiying was actually another son of hers?”

“Zhanying, Huiying... looks like both Their Highnesses will have to ally together on this point,” Mei Changsu’s brow furrowed in thought. “What is Zhuo Dingfeng thinking?”

Zhen Ping openly pondered. “Even if he himself did not know, surely the martial artists that he hired would have heard of Langya Hall, at least? They didn’t even offend Tianquan Manor – the Pavilion was technically helping him.”

Mei Changsu sighed. “I think Zhuo Dingfeng is thinking along the same lines as Mrs Zhuo as well. He wants to know, he can’t help but want to, but the fact that demons are providing the answer scares him. The consequences of this knowledge... he has known the story before it was told, that it would not be a happy end.”

“One demoness has already died,” Li Gang reflected in the gloom of the Su residence. “Zhuo Dingfeng, the only witness to Xie Yu’s crimes, won’t be able to live past tomorrow.”

“She’s not dead.” Mei Changsu steadily looked back at Li Gang and Zhen Ping. “This morning, Prince Jing’s men visited the Yan residence, and from there I received some information – Miss Lí was decapitated. The only reason that she survived was because she was able to put her head back on her shoulders before Zhuo Dingfeng stabbed her with peach wood nails and set the place on fire. She got out, and was taken in by the Marquis for questioning. By tomorrow she shall be in the Northern Hamlet, starting on the Thousand Autumn Pavilion’s revenge.”

“...” Zhen Ping turned slightly green. “If not even beheading and fire would work, how is Tianquan Manor going to survive? Our plans...”

“Even if Miss Lí was beheaded, mutilated and then set on fire by Zhuo Dingfeng, there’s no need for us to act, because Prince Yu and Prince Jing would have already received a complaint from her sons – their subordinates,” Mei Changsu’s retort was bland, but his sleeve began to fray under his severe pulling. “Human planning is nothing compared to the mysteries of the heavens. Now, no matter how Zhuo Dingfeng acts, he will definitely pull down Xie Yu with him. Where is that Taoist priest?”

“Huh? We have him under surveillance...”

“Keep an eye on him,” Mei Changsu ordered. “We need him to survive beyond tomorrow.”

* * *

The arrival of ambassadors from Southern Chu coincided with Xie Yu’s return to Jinling. The news of the recent arson on Thousand Autumns Pavilion had already spread around, which put a damper on his plans.

“Too bad we couldn’t handle this while Xie Yu was out,” Prince Yu pondered back in his own residence. “Banruo, Zhuo Dingfeng dropping a stone on his own foot, how would it implicate Xie Yu? There has been no movement at all from them.”

From the sidelines, Qin Banruo merely served the prince another goblet of wine to place on the study table. “Lady Nüwa can wait nearly a hundred years for the fall of the Shang dynasty. Waiting a few days not only heightens the tension, but also leaves a chance for Master Zhuo to lower his guard.”

“You said the same thing, Sir Su said the same thing,” Prince Yu complained. “But you need to explain.”

Qin Banruo frowned. “Banruo does not know how to explain, because a lot of it depends on the general reaction of Thousand Autumns Pavilion. It would most likely be vicious, and unpredictable-”

A knock on the door interrupted her words. “Come in,” the Prince Yu immediately ordered.

The doors swung opened, Huiying came in, and closed them behind him before he knelt before the prince. “Your Highness, Huiying has a request for Your Highness. Huiying requests to resign from Your Highness’ service until a family matter is settled.”

“What?” Prince Yu jumped to his feet. “Wait, Huiying, what about- how is your mother these days?”

“Oh, is Miss Lí alright?” Qin Banruo commented by the sidelines.

“My mother is fine, many thanks to Your Highness’ concern,” Huiying automatically replied. “My younger brother specially came back home to take care of her, so I should do my part as the older brother to fulfil my filial duties.”

“A- Ah, that is promising,” Prince Yu hastily nodded. “But, you could ask for leave.”

“Oh no, we couldn’t do that,” Huiying reported, matter of fact. “My brother and I are going to massacre the whole Zhuo clan, so none of this can go back to Your Highness.”

“M- Massacre?!” Even despite the callous discarding that he did, the Prince openly shuddered. “T- This revenge is very well and good, but t- this is g- going too far, right?”

“We’re all demons,” Qin Banruo commented, granting a rare smile. “Even if a lawsuit was carried out, Miss Lí is still a commoner, and a demoness as well. This is the best revenge. Huiying, is this Madame Jiang’s decision?”

“Madame Jiang?” Huiying looked lost. “Not at all. This is my own decision.”

“Just...” Prince Yu sighed. “I give you three months. Banruo, help Huiying settle this faster. We still have a lot of things to do.”

“Many thanks to Your Highness!” Huiying kowtowed again. “Miss Qin...”

“Say no more,” Qin Banruo laughed, a sound which made the hairs on Prince Yu’s scalp stand on end. “We’re all demons. As long as blood runs in return for all that was shed, we’ll do the best we can.”

* * *

“I told you already, we could always ignore the test,” Mrs Zhuo berated her husband in between her tears in a separate courtyard of the Marquess of Ning’s residence. “But no, you acted out like this! Now Qingyao is on the brink of death!”

“I didn’t- I didn’t think it would be like this,” Zhuo Dingfeng mumbled, looking at the bed in the room. Zhuo Qingyao lay prostrate upon the bed, his upper torso free of clothes to reveal the blackened, festering scratch.

“What are we going to do?” Mrs Zhuo’s breathing came in snatches, as if there was a terrible weight. “We- We-”

A terrible scream pierced the mid-evening. “DEMONS!”

The Zhuo parents ran out to see Xiao Jingrui defending the main gate.

Before the main gate, facing Xiao Jingrui, the woman gave an amused chuckle. Her robes of muslin seemed to ripple out from all around her, as if it possessed a will of its own.

“A delivery for Mrs Zhuo from Thousand Autumns Pavilion,” the sweet, melodic voice seemed laden with malice as she held out a package of paper with both hands. “Do you want to open it here, or do you want me to read it out for you?”

Mrs Zhuo rushed over, reaching out with trembling hands to rifle through the sheets. “T- This... what do all these lines mean?”

“He is not the son that you gave birth to,” Madame Jiang tilted her head, pushing another box, this one spherical with inscriptions, into Xiao Jingrui’s trembling hands next. “I have an additional delivery to be made to Xiao Jingrui. This one came with additional instructions to announce it in front of the Xie residence.”

Xiao Jingrui pulled open the box, tearing out the paper inside to read through it. “ ‘My son-’ what is going on?”

“What is going on?” Attracted by the babble in front of the gates, the Grand Princess arrived, accompanied by an elderly _Momo_. She took one look at Madame Jiang fishing a scroll out from her sleeve, and her face immediately lost all colour.

“This is an order from the Great Chu Prince of Chen, Yuwen Lin,” Madame Jiang unfolded it to show the king’s seal. “In exchange for a thousand taels of gold, it orders Madame Jiang Beike of Thousand Autumns Pavilion to, firstly, escort the Grand Duchess of Xiandai Yuwen Nian safely, in and out of Great Liang territory. Secondly, it orders the same Madame Jiang to identify the son of Yuwen Lin and the Great Liang Grand Princess Liyang via the new paternity test offered by Thousand Autumns Pavilion, and once identified, to escort the same son as quickly as the laws and ordinances of Chu allows into Great Chu territory.”

Xiao Jingrui stumbled, his sword dropping from his hand in shock. “W- What? M- Mother- t- this can’t be true, right?”

“Evil demon!” the Grand Princess ordered. “Why are you spreading fallacies here?!”

“Your Highness,” Madame Jiang’s eyes turned thinner as she narrowed them. “You have until midnight to say your goodbyes. Once the third watch comes, someone will take Xiao Jingrui to Great Chu. Anyone in the way dies. Nobody can say that Thousand Autumns Pavilion does not fulfil their ends of the bargain.”

She vanished in a puff of smoke, right as a war-horse pulled up before the gate and Xie Yu arrived before the sight of a family teetering on the edge of tearing itself apart. Occupied with the chaos and the collapse of the Grand Princess, Xie Yu missed the sight of Xiao Jingrui cradling the spherical box in his hands, his nails digging into the golden inscriptions:

_Moonlight Treasure Box_

* * *

“Keep your paws off of my pestle!” Physician Yan sourly hid the pestle away from Li Gang. “I don’t trust any of you with it.”

These words were addressed to the occupants of the Su residence. Mei Changsu himself was laid out on the couch again, having been threatened with the power of the magic pestle if he dared to step foot outside the manor, even if it was allegedly for Tingsheng’s first visit to his grandmother. Who was a ghost.

Feiliu had looked less disturbed than Mei Changsu at the thought of a ghost paying attention to their grandson’s education. Then again, Mei Changsu had thought, Feiliu was very much an occupant of this strange world of magical tools and strange powers and the search for immortality.

Li Gang, who had taken over most of the housekeeping duties, relented with a huff. “Che. It’s not like it’s anything else than an old pestle.”

“This pestle is used to pound the medicine of the gods,” Physician Yan pointed out. “Millennia of pounding the herbs of immortality has given it special powers. What do you know, huh? Anything from heaven which falls to earth always has special powers.”

“Enough, enough,” Mei Changsu pressed. “Physician Yan, Li Gang assuredly does not have designs on your pestle.”

“Chief...”

“No.” Physician Yan’s ears twitched in anger.

“Chief!” Li Gang approached Mei Changsu now with his complaint. “We’re all worried about you. My intention in borrowing Physician Yan’s pestle is to guard against demons, because we are mostly mortal men and Feiliu needs to sleep too. We simply don’t have any magic treasures.”

Physician Yan snorted. “It’s not like magic treasures would actually help. Sometimes magic weapons just brings sorrow. Choices which go against the heavens do not usually have happy outcomes.”

“Oh,” Mei Changsu laughed. “So Physician Yan has a concrete example?”

“Hmm...” Physician Yan frowned, before he snapped his fingers. “I remember it. The Moonlight Treasure Box. It is the sole invention of the Third Princess Miaoshan, who later ascended to the bodhisattva Guanyin. She invented it in order to save her lover.”

“Is it that magical?” Mei Changsu admired.

“Its most miraculous ability is, by borrowing the power of the moon’s light, to let its user shuttle across space and time, return to the past and fly towards the future,” Physician Yan related with the grand theatricality of knowing that everyone – except Feiliu – was hanging on his every word. “Isn’t it wonderful?”

“And then?” Li Gang leant forward with great interest.

“And then, Miaoshan ascended to the bodhisattva Guanyin who hears the sound of the world,” Physician Yan continued, “and the Treasure Box fell to earth, causing the people of the world to fight and struggle for it. Who in this world does not have obsessions and regrets? All who had possession of the Moonlight Treasure Box sought it for that reason – to change the past, helpless of the fact that all things are beholden to karma.”

Physician Yan thus finished his speech, as from outside a gong resounded, and the night watchman began to call the third watch.

* * *

In the spring night, Xiao Jingrui hurriedly ducked and weaved through the fallen bodies in the courtyard of the Xie residence. The sounds of bolts falling from the _twang_ of bowstrings seemed to echo in his ears as he swung his sword in an effort to defend himself from both his father’s crossbowmen and the monster looming outside.

“ _My child, my child, why are you so bad?_ ” This haunting lullaby formed the sounds by which he heard, as the soldiers defending the Xie residence were slaughtered. “ _To oppress and lie, why have you done all this?_ ”

“My mother is dead because of you!” Xiao Jingrui cried he turned around to see another corpse fall. “Sister Qi!”

Zhuo Qingyao joined his wife and unborn child moments later, falling in front of Xiao Jingrui. Mrs Zhuo’s ashen cry was cut short by another splatter.

The arrows stopped. A beat of silence endured. Two meaty thuds resounded.

Xiao Jingrui resolutely looked up, into eyes set into a nondescript face, which glistened with silvery moonlight behind the blood spatter of the combined Xie and Zhuo clans.

“My father is the Marquess of Ning!” Xiao Jingrui screamed. “My mother is a princess of this kingdom! What manner of demon are you, to flagrantly break the law of this land, and wreck my clan?”

“Your clan hurt my mother,” he snarled back, hands curled into taloned and clawed weapons. “Now, come, Young Master Jingrui. Your father is waiting for you.”

“I won’t go with you!”

“You do not have a choice.” His cackle echoed throughout the emptiness and blood stench of the courtyard. “If alive, he will see a person. If not, he will see a corpse. Your life or death means nothing to us...”

“No... no...” Xiao Jingrui scrabbled away from the luminous eyes and the cold laughter and mocking lullaby. “Help... someone, anyone... help-!”

A thud of gold and a sphere rested in his hands as he fled along the gangway of the artificial lake, away from the lakeside pavilion. In his hands, the box twisted open. Across the Xie residence’s courtyard, moonlight flickered as if immersed in a lake, and Huiying reached out a clawed hand, prepared to slash down-

Xiao Jingrui read the words aloud.

There was a crack of thunder, a flash of lightning, and the night was obliterated in a burst of luminescence in the birth of a star.

* * *

**1 ZH:  不共戴天 (bù gòng dài tiān) – describing absolutely irreconcilable enemies.**

**2  Zhenniao (鴆鳥) or sometimes translated as _Zhen_ or Poisonfeather Birds, is a name given to poisonous birds that are said to have existed in what is now Southern China during ancient times and is referenced in many Chinese myths, annals and poetry. From its very veins to the tips of its feathers, the bird's body is said to be tainted with an unparalleled poison referred to as Zhen Poison ( 鴆毒 zhèndú). The feathers were often dipped into liquor to create a poisonous draught that was often used to carry out assassinations. Its meat however was said to be overtly toxic and gave off a gamy odour that rendered it inadequate for surreptitious use, and the excrement could dissolve stone. The poison was said to be so deadly that it needed only to pass through one's throat to kill a person. The only thing that was said to be able to neutralize the poison was the horn of the rhinoceros. Thus, the horns would be made into hairpins and when used to stir poisonous concoctions would foam and neutralize the poison.**


	30. 壬辰: Turn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> My child... my child... why are you so bad?

#  壬辰: Turn

“ _Bō_ _-_ _rě_ _-_ _bō_ _-_ _luó_ _-_ _mì_ _-_ _!!!!!_ ”

* * *

“Was it the right decision? Leaving this to... a demon?” Lin Yueyao frowned at a stack of books teetering on Yan Que’s desk.

“No. Demons have the tendency to go too far, especially demons like Jiang Beike,” Yan Que promptly replied.

The pair were in the Marquis’ study, slowly consulting books and books on Taoist rituals. In Lin Yueyao’s case, she was literally floating above the opened codices to read all of them.

“We still need Xie Yu alive, right?” Lin Yueyao exclaimed. “How is it that you can’t even control your own employee, Yan Que?”

“Jiang Beike is not an employee,” Yan Que gloomily reflected. “Langya Hall only recognises money, not people – she operates in the same way. Thirty-odd years ago, I contracted her services... we are acquaintances at best. I would have asked the Lin father and son from Mt Langya, but Langya Hall doesn’t easily accept job offers.”

“I’ll say,” Lin Yueyao expressed with feeling. “But what about the Xie and Zhuo clans?”

“They’ll die.”

Lin Yueyao did a double-take at the flat delivery. “Like I said- what about Princess Liyang and the children? Those who weren’t involved at all... they don’t deserve to die.”

“Which is why Beike will lock down the entire Marquess of Ning’s residence in a _kalpa_ formation with her magic treasure, the Clam Building in the Sea City,” the Marquis Yan tilted his head. “From what I know, she will also employ the Moonlight Treasure Box to force the _kalpa_ to continue.”

Lin Yueyao blinked.

“...time will reset itself until someone inside figures it out and manages to stop the troubles at their root,” Yan Que finally clarified once he had thought about it. “I do not think that any demon wishes to incur such trouble. However, killing people draws attention from authorities. A situation which the great nobles would not wish to report would have to be come from some absurd fantasy.”

“...time.” Lin Yueyao reflected. “The Moonlight Treasure Box – I’ve heard of it. It is a treasure meant to show that fate ruled people’s lives, and those who interfered with it did so to their sorrow. Faced with the slaughter of their family, who would not try everything in their power to stop the tragedy?”

“You’re wrong, Yueyao,” the Marquis Yan grimly shook his head. “Perhaps, someone in your future had already met you in the past. I always thought that I had seen Jingrui’s face somewhere, you know.”

* * *

“A delivery for Mrs Zhuo from Thousand Autumns Pavilion,” the sweet, melodic voice echoed once more as sunset approached. “Do you want to open it here, or do you want me to read it out for you-?”

The sonorous echo of her words presaged the doom of the combined clans, from the stunned Mrs Zhuo to the equally shocked Grand Princess Liyang. The two women were stunned in a picture of terror about to descend...

“STOP!”

Madame Jiang blinked, and turned around to meet Xiao Jingrui slashing her down. A meaty thud resounded as her head dropped onto the dirt floor.

“B- Brother...” Xie Bi raised his eyes from the paralysed eyes of Madame Jiang, towards the hands holding the sword, and then an equally shocked Jingrui. “You’ve... You’ve killed her.”

“Good strike!” Zhuo Dingfeng blustered. “This witch came here to threaten your mothers and your families. Jingrui, no magistrate in court shall convict you.”

“Your Highness, The Eldest Young Master-”

“This was self-defence!” Grand Princess Liyang started to talk, her eyes still on Jingrui. “Men, clear away this corpse! What was spoken today... Jingrui did nothing wrong! I will personally speak to the Emperor, Jingrui did a good thing! Jingrui, move! Drop the sword!”

“Mother,” Xiao Jingrui kept looking from his sword to the still-standing body. “T- This... she’s not dead yet.”

The headless body twitched, before scrambling down to pick up its head and place it back upon her shoulders. There was a sound of cracking bones and squished blood and flesh, right before the sword-cut healed itself across the throat. Madame Jiang cracked her neck from side to side, her calm and professional look mangled and thoroughly ruined in the wake of her sudden beheading to leave only horror.

“I,” Madame Jiang pronounced to a rueful Jingrui, malice in her eyes, “have another delivery for Master Xiao.”

Her hands struck. Equally meaty thuds echoed. Faster than light, it seemed, that a wave of black enveloped the gates of the Xie residence. Blood poured like rain across the gates, amongst them the black and scarlet of the Grand Princess, who had bodily pushed Xiao Jingrui away from the demoness’ attack at the cost of her own life.

“Jingrui, run!” was the last words of the Grand Princess Liyang before claws dug her brain out from her matted skull.

“You little _bastard_ , Xiao Jingrui!” A pair of slim hands topped with claws the length of nails and stained scarlet and reeking of copper dug trenches into the gate-frames of the Xie residence, the swing carried through her arm from the sheer force of slicing through a human skull and brain. “Your father Zhuo Dingfeng tried to chop off my disciple’s head, and now you aim for mine?! _Do you have any idea how long it takes to sculpt such a perfect face?!_ ”

“Mother!” Xie Qi screamed.

“ _Shut up!_ ”

The claws flew across, spattering her throat out with a single wave. Behind her, the head of a team of armoured soldiers on horseback were spattered in Xie Qi’s blood, chief amongst them the Marquess of Ning.

“ _Xiao Jingrui, come and face death!_ ” Strange explosions scattered the courtyard with every step that shrunk the distance between the fleeing Xiao Jingrui and her. “ _Alive or dead, you’re coming with me!_ ”

“Princess! Your Highness-!” Xie Yu gasped as he charged in, sword drawn. “Bi, Qi...!”

“Father...!” Xiao Jingrui leapt into the fray, sword already pointed and poised to cut into her leg tendons. “Run! Get more people!”

His enemy gave an inhuman screech of rage as she raised her hands to the sky. Right then, the night had already descended, the flames of torches lighting up as more and more of the residence’s guards came pouring in, swords and crossbows drawn.

What sounded like a thunderclap swept through the residence then, and then there was complete silence.

A breath rasped as Xiao Jingrui ducked.

“ _My child... my child... why are you so bad?_ ” The lullaby was sung pitched low, soothing and motherly. “ _To oppress and lie, why have you done all this?_ _Learn to be a good child... learn to love..._ _Caring for others is in your heart... full of colour..._ ”1

As the second watch rang somewhere, Xiao Jingrui ran along the bridge by the artificial lake. As he ran, the waters beneath his feet began to visibly boil under his feet. He reached the lakeside pavilion as the bridge finally collapsed into flames, and amidst them a blackened, copper-haired shadow with luminous eyes.

The Moonlight Treasure Box fell out from his jacket and into his hands.

“ _Bō_ _-_ _rě_ _-_ _bō_ _-_ _luó_ _-_ _mì_ _-_ _!!!!!_ ”

* * *

“A delivery for Mrs Zhuo from Thousand Autumns Pavilion.” Madame Jiang held out the package to Mrs Zhuo again on that fateful sunset. There was, again, some strange echo to her voice, as if it had come far too late or it had crossed a distance far greater than the distance between Madame Jiang and the gates of the Xie residence. “Do you want to open it here, or do you want me to read it out-”

The package was sliced and hacked into ribbons.

“Finally,” Xiao Jingrui wheezed, his sword dropping to one side. “finally...”

Madame Jiang pulled two scrolls from her sleeve and read them out, before she was forced to leave.

“Midnight, Young Master Xiao,” she told an ashen-faced Jingrui. “I’ll send someone for you.”

Xie Yu came back, took one look at Zhuo Dingfeng, and then drew his sword and stabbed down. Thus began an epic fight between the two patriarchs, despite Xiao Jingrui’s impassioned pleas. Xie Yu and Zhuo Dingfeng killed each other at the end of the hour of the pig, as a lullaby started once more:

“ _My child... my child... why are you so bad? To oppress and lie, why have you done all this?_

Right as the moon rose again, for Xiao Jingrui opened the box, he spotted Huiying’s silhouette in the darkness gutting his brother up through the throat before his mother’s eyes.

“ _Bō_ _-_ _rě_ _-_ _bō_ _-_ _luó_ _-_ _mì_ _-_ _!!!!!_ ”

* * *

“A delivery for Mrs Zhuo from Thousand Autumns Pavilion.”

It was sunset on that day, Madame Jiang had arrived on the doorstep of the Xie manor, and was offering a package to Mrs Zhuo.

“We don’t want the package!!!” Xiao Jingrui ran at top speed, making full use of his lightweight skill to fly at top speed towards the main gate of the Xie residence. “Don’t-!”

“You’re not mother and son,” was Madame Jiang’s short response. “Sorry. The child’s father wants to see him, so I will send someone for him at midnight.”

“I won’t let him go!” the Grand Princess refuted.

“Does your opinion matter?” Madame Jiang’s smile seemed to hide many knives. “Ah, I misspoke. Your opinion does not matter to me. I am only carrying out the duty which I have undertaken in the name of the Thousand Autumns Pavilion. Good day, Your Highness.”

Mrs Zhuo immediately turned onto the Grand Princess Liyang once Madame Jiang had left by flying away towards the horizon. “So it was my son who died that day!”

That night, Mrs Zhuo killed the Grand Princess first. She then started on Xie Yu, despite Zhuo Dingfeng leaping into the fray. Zhuo Qingyao died of poisoning, and Xie Qi hung herself out of despair as Xie Bi tried and failed to defend Jingrui from Xie Yu’s sword. Zhuo Dingfeng charged forward, impaling himself on the sword and taking Xie Yu’s head off with his own only to collapse immediately.

The same haunting melody began to play. “ _My child... my child... why are you so bad...?”_

Faced with this sight, Xiao Jingrui could react with nothing other than opening the box.

“ _Bō_ _-_ _rě_ _-_ _bō_ _-_ _luó_ _-_ _mì_ _-_ _!!!!!_ ”

* * *

This time, Xiao Jingrui stood by as the sonorous echo started to resound. His sword was ready, he was away from the main scene, he was not there to receive the- the Southern Chu...

“Oh, and, there is a prince in Southern Chu who wants his son back,” Jiang Beike told his mother right as the Marquess of Ning arrived on horseback.

Xie Yu then raised his sword against Jiang Beike.

“No-!”

The retaliation that came was swift, and merciless enough that the gates were bathed in blood of a horse and a human cut in half. Covered in blood, Jiang Beike’s murderous expression belied the calm with which she stepped over the threshold and started to chop her way through the rest of them.

Time no longer seemed to matter – it was always the confrontation at sunset, then the arguments, and the drawing of sword as the entire family were slaughtered at midnight by the son of the demoness whom his Father Zhuo Dingfeng had attacked that night when Thousand Autumns Pavilion burned. How many times had he arrived in a flash of light at this exact moment and place, when the proclamation which would start to dissolve his family arrived?

_My child, my child... why are you so bad...?_

Paralysed by his own indecision, it was only until the bodies were already cooling that Xiao Jingrui finally came to his senses. The bodies of the dead were already cooling and calling flies to their blood scent as Xiao Jingrui offered the box up to the full moon again.

“ _Bō_ _-_ _rě_ _-_ _bō_ _-_ _luó_ _-_ _mì_ _-_ _!!!!!_ ”

* * *

It was a dark and stormy night when the Thunder God raged, and outside of the nunnery on Mt Rui threatened with torrents and lightning. Two women, both heavily pregnant, sat facing each other across a Weiqi board, the black and white pieces already scattered in the barest hint of a formation.

The black player was dressed in simple clothes, the white player in robes edges with embroidery. Many causes – an outbreak of plague in Jinling, war threatening at the borders of Great Liang, troubles in the pugilist world – had brought these women of completely different backgrounds to face each other this night, alone and un-chaperoned save for the maids and wet nurses by their sides.

“Sister,” the black player declared as she placed a stone in a corner, “I’m eating both of them.”2

“Oh?” White responded, and then a younger Mrs Zhuo looked crestfallen as the attack she had started resulted in the loss of more stones.

“A snapback!” she lamented. “Would that an attack come from unknown quarters... ah!”

“Sister?” the Grand Princess Liyang, with the vitality of youth still in her features, expressed in concern. “What’s wrong...? Ah!”

“I- I think I’m in labour...”

Her Highness gave a sad look at the pieces of the scattered game. “Sister,” she mournfully spoke, “I’m also in labour, and our game is now lost.”

“Never mind the game! Midwife!!!”

Outside the nunnery, a body crashed into one of the trees surrounding the courtyard as the cries of infants and the sound of splashing water resounded, causing a branch to break and fall towards a window. In the blink of an eye, tiles scattered, beams shook, and windows tore as strong gusts blew into the room, snuffing out all the candles before the windows caught fire.

“W- What’s going on?!”

“I can’t see!”

“Move the madames now!”

“Young master, the babies!”

“Fire!!!”

Faced with his back to the earth and an oncoming storm, Xiao Jingrui distantly heard the tolls of thunder. Flashes of lightning, so much like the light from the Moonlight Treasure Box, struck across his vision, leaving dancing spots of white in his eyes.

“ _Aiyoh_ , someone fell from the sky,” Xiao Jingrui looked up as a man’s tenor drew his attention to phoenix eyes and a melon-seed face.

“Gong-” he blinked, but his tongue seized, because it could not be Miss Gong Yu.

“We’re all demons, come on!” Gong Yu spoke in a man’s voice, which more or less discarded the possibility of it being Gong Yu.

A pair of slender yet strong hands seized him, and Xiao Jingrui yelped as he was half-dragged, half-carried away into the dark forest surrounding the temple. Fumbling in the dark movements, Xiao Jingrui stilled as the Moonlight Treasure Box threatened to fall out from his clothes. The man resembling Gong Yu finally stopped walking on air, dumping Xiao Jingrui in the deep, dark cave where he had retreated to before settling down to spark a small bonfire contained in a pit – on hindsight, it was a cave pre-prepared by an expert.

“W- What’s the era name?” Xiao Jingrui finally demanded. “Who are you?”

“Huh?” Gong Yu in black hummed. “It’s the third year of _Yuanyou_.” 3

“ _Yuanyou_?” Xiao Jingrui sat up. “Third year... this is... my birthday?”

“You were banished down on this day, so... yes!” the male Gong Yu clapped his hands. “Happy birthday! Don’t worry, those people up there always banish immortals for the strangest reasons. Too many rules, you know.”

Xiao Jingrui blinked slowly. “You’re... not human?”

“I’m a demon,” The face which resembled Gong Yu so much beamed, and a quick flicker of inhumanly black eyes filled to the sclera in the dimness of a torch by his side settled the question.

“You’re a demon?” Xiao Jingrui sat up straighter.

“You’ve been beaten down from the heavenly courts, you and I are demons.” The other man pouted. “I’m Gong Dan, from Yeying Palace. What about you?”

“Me?” Xiao Jingrui was disarmed by the cheerful self-introduction. “I’m... Xiao.”

“Xiao?” Gong Dan shook his head. “Those immortals really have no naming sense, do they?”

Xiao Jingrui sighed in relief; he wasn’t exposed. “I’m a flute spirit?”

“Can’t be helped...” Gong Dan sighed. “They probably dropped your original body in the temple to be played in front of the Buddhas and bodhisattvas to cultivate some more – or rot, whichever comes first. Tonight we have some fate of meeting – let’s hide in the storm first then.”

The candid frankness really alarmed Xiao Jingrui, but he could only curl in on himself and listen to the storm raging outside. The storm, the temple on Mt Rui, a man in black in the darkness... no a demon in the darkness.

Was it... a coincidence...? Xiao Jingrui could not believe it either. The deaths of the Xie and Zhuo clans all started from here, at this point...

* * *

Madame Jiang’s arrival coincided with the start of the hour of the dog. the Xie and Zhuo patriarchs were supposed to be at loggerheads after her proclamation. Huiying would then arrive at the hour of the pig, and slaughter the Xie and Zhuo families along with all eight hundred personal soldiers of the Marquess of Ning’s residence.

However, at the fourth mark4 of the hour of the dog, another group of guests arrived to dissolve the tenseness between Xie Yu and Zhuo Dingfeng.

“Marquis Yan,” Xie Yu received the other man, who came into the residence’s courtyard with a knobby staff of wood in hand. “What wind blew you to my manor this day?”

“I see that the Marquess of Ning is still unable to control himself, or his crimes.” The tip of his staff banged on the floor with finality. The trees of the courtyard shivered, and then abruptly began to bloom under the cover of night, to incredulous stares.

“A demonic presence was sighted flying towards the west,” Marquis Yan started to explain. “I deduced that they would be coming here, and thus I came to conduct a ritual to dispel the evil.”

“Hmph,” Xie Yu laughed. “I do not believe in higher powers, no matter the evidence.”

“But you believe in demons,” Yan Que gently replied, “and when your Brother Zhuo has offended Thousand Autumns Pavilion so greatly, you believe in anything necessary to protect your family, yes?”

Xie Yu immediately turned to Zhuo Dingfeng. “Brother Zhuo... what happened when I was at the West Mountains camp?”

“The entire Jinling knows,” Yan Que continued to chatter, leaning on his staff. “Zhuo Dingfeng, Zhuo Qingyao and a few more martial arts expert hired a priest from the Fulu sect to paralyse and burn down Thousand Autumns Pavilion over a paternity test. The test results that they sought to delay so much were still delivered in the end, as Marquess Ning might have realised. Tonight is the interest – because the culprit is still alive, and within this residence, they want to kill him.”

“...so this is what happened,” Xie Yu admitted in the end. “Eight hundred soldiers are not enough deterrence?”

“You are more than familiar with Madame Jiang,” Marquis Yan said very calmly. “Or do you think that some _Fangshi_ can save you when a _Daoshi_ is already here?”

“She dares!” Xie Yu raged. “I will report this to the Emperor, and see if she dares to do anything else!”

The Marquis Yan calmly considered the grain of his staff as Xie Yu turned to leave the courtyard. “If you can step across the gates and live, then go.”

About to leave his guest behind, the Marquess of Ning froze. “...I am a first-rank military official. What need do I have of the civil officials?”

“I came here as a _Daoshi_ , to perform a ritual which would hopefully fend off Madame Jiang,” the Marquis Yan bowed slightly to the Grand Princess. “I came too late; she has already seized control of the territory outside your walls. The only option left is to defend until sunrise, so I stuck some talismans outside.”

Xie Yu opened the gates.

Multiple explosions occurred in mid-air. Two giant forms weaved through the gaps, repeatedly attacked each other and evaded. The surrounding explosive blasts and spear-like gusts of wind knocked a human form about like a polo ball being knocked about, only leaving some invisible space from which the form and the concussive force of the explosions kept away from the gates of the Xie residence.

The gate hastily swung shut, but then the wood groaned, cracked, and tore from its very hinges. Clawed hands tore gaps into the frames to screams and yells, and the high wooden threshold underfoot broke.

“Zhuo Dingfeng!” The grey-robed man growled, heedless of Xie Yu’s face when his own face was so mutated as to resemble the curve of a beat, the flecks of feather-tips and the sharpness of bird eyes. “You hurt my mother, prepare to die!”

Behind Xie Yu, Yan Que drew an entire sheaf of talismans. “It looks like the civil officials have to step in now.”

* * *

**1 The Chinese lyrics are:  孩子, 孩子, 為何你這麼壞? 欺負, 欺騙, 為何你做出來? 學會做好小孩, 相親相愛. 關懷就在心中, 充滿色彩.**

 

 

**2  A [double ](https://senseis.xmp.net/?DoubleAtari)[_atari_](https://senseis.xmp.net/?DoubleAtari).**

**3 I randomly invented this era as a placeholder, it’s much appreciated if anyone can tell me the eras in NiF. The thing is, before the Ming dynasty an emperor changed his era name as often as he liked, since the ability to name the eras was a reflection of imperial power and the ability to control how history is dictated (in a way). The numbering of the year still increases on the first day of the Chinese calendar each year, regardless of the month in which the era name change took place. Since this is a setting in which there are multiple Chinese kingdoms, there are also multiple competing era names, which confuses us further.**

**4 Before consistent time systems were invented, the ancient Chinese used the  _shi_ - _ke_  (時刻) system. _Shi_ are 12 milestones in a day, which are used to stamp the time as the hour of the (insert earthly branch). A day is also divided into 100 _ke_ _/_ marks, so 2 hours = 1  _shi_ = 8.3 marks.**


	31. 癸巳: Prestige

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You’re right… I fail as a demon. The world of demons has no place for me now, just like how the world of humans cannot accept this child.”

#  癸巳: Prestige

“You aren’t staying with your mother, Zhanying?”

“Good evening, Your Highness,” Lie Zhanying quietly greeted his lord within the practice yard of the imperial Jing residence.

Beside him, a woman in robes like night stood to bow quietly. “This old body1 greets Your Highness Prince Jing,” was her only acknowledgement.

“Mrs Lie may please relax,” Xiao Jingyan automatically took a deferential tone upon addressing the older woman. “This king has heard of your... recent troubles. Rest assured that I will find a good physician for your care. For the time being, though... the imperial residence is full of men, so I shall send Zhanying back home with you for some days.”

“Your Highness may rest easy. This old body knows many able physicians, and have practised the medical arts as well. Zhanying can help his older brother.”

It was jarring to hear such an ageless beauty refer to herself as old, but the age of demons were not always reflected in their features.

“Oh? Mrs Lie has another son?”

“He is busy tonight,” was Miss Lí’s only reply. “Your Highness’ graciousness is appreciated under the circumstances. Demons cannot be seem associating with royalty.”

“I am a _Fangshi_ ,” Xiao Jingyan evenly replied. “What is the problem then?”

“...I see,” Miss Lí rested her head into the palm of her hands, before her fingers lowered to trace the prominent mark of decapitation on her throat. “I see.”

* * *

Twenty-four years into the past, the next day dawned in atypical brightness, with only the vestiges of mist clearing away in the face of the morning. Xiao Jingrui, sleep still clinging onto his eyebrows, shivered slightly before the bonfire was stoked again and pine-cones fed to it.

There was a fluttering of wings, a chirp of birdsong, and then the shift of something in mid-air before the sound of weight dropping woke him up.

“Good morning~” Gong Yu’s face appeared before Xiao Jingrui, but it was not Gong Yu – there was a harder set to the face, a thinness like the figure of a bird, and the bob of an Adam’s apple in the throat. “Little Xiao, time to get started.”

“Xiao?” Xiao Jingrui swallowed, shivering in the mild spring chill. Jinling would turn into a furnace in the next few months, but for now it was still cold about the mountains. “Right... Mister Gong Dan, many thanks for... saving me.”

“We’re all demons,” Gong Dan chuckled. “It was a fateful coincidence... the storm has ended, so our fate ends here. I’m going now...”

“W- Wait!” The events which were supposed to happen the next night – no, tonight – came to Xiao Jingrui. “This... Mt Rui... what is Mister Gong going to do now?”

“Me?” The man gave another quick smile. “I’m going to listen to scriptures.”

Apparently, listening to scriptures involved hanging on the trees outside of the temple, keeping an eye on the main courtyard where the younger selves of Xiao Jingrui’s mothers sat together, chatting amicably. The drone of monks chanting complemented the gong of the periodic bells.

“If you listen long enough, maybe you’ll understand something, Little Xiao,” Gong Dan sighed. “Unlike this old man, who only cultivated enough to achieve human form and some magic.”

“Then why don’t you keep cultivating?”

Gong Dan shook his head. “Cultivating won’t feed my wife and raise a child. My wife is a human – she can’t move down to Youdu. Humans always say that the man brings home the rice, but to tell you a secret, men can’t live without woman’s work. Marry a man, or marry a wife – the end result doesn’t change.”

“Then... what about Yeying Palace?”

“We’re a group of assassins. You pay us, we kill whoever,” Gong Dan shook his head. “We’re called the nightingale2 Palace because we specialise in using music, so all our members are named after nightingales. You’re a flute spirit – if you give up, go to Jinling and ask around for Geqú. She’s the current master of Yeying Palace, took over from Madame Jiang.”

Masquerading as a flute spirit seemed to come intuitively to Xiao Jingrui, even as he found himself actually talking to a demon and hiding actively in the trees, hoping that no one would look towards them. “How do I... get in...?”

“Pretend to be a musician, get in, and then transform when no one’s looking. Then you’ll infiltrate the inventory,” Gong Dan spoke very casually.

“I...” Xiao Jingrui blushed. “I don’t know how to transform.”

“You’re the type who rushed his education, huh?”

Gong Dan was very easy to talk to, Xiao Jingrui was beginning to realise. “Brother- may I call you elder brother?”

“We’re all demons, so I’ll call you my younger brother!” Gong Dan laughed, easily jumping down to the ground. “Let’s find a way to talk about transformation.”

With great trepidation, Xiao Jingrui followed this mysteriously ineffable demon to a clearing.

Gong Dan swept his right foot in a circle and ran a hand over his hair, pulling a handful of hair down and furling it over his upper lip. “Change!” he said, “a man with a moustache.”

He let his hair fall, and flipped his palms.

“Change in height!” He stood on his tiptoes. He then flattened them again.

“Oi, that’s just tricks!” Xiao Jingrui pointed out.

“The _Book of Changes_ states that ‘we put thirty spokes together and call it a wheel; but it is on the space where there is nothing that the usefulness of the wheel depends. We turn clay to make a vessel; but it is on the space where there is nothing that the usefulness of the vessel depends’,” Gong Dan continued.

“ ‘We pierce doors and windows to make a house; and it is on these spaces where there is nothing that the usefulness of the house depends’,” Xiao Jingrui followed the quote. “ ‘Therefore just as we take advantage of what is, we should recognize the usefulness of what is not’.”

“Precisely.” Gong Dan held both his hands stretched, and then threw his arms back. “Change!”

Sinuous flesh shifted, skin and hair changing smoothly into the beams and down of feathers in grey and black.

Gong Dan smiled at Xiao Jingrui’s stunned expression; unbeknownst to him, Xiao Jingrui immediately thought of Yan Yujin, and how his friend had yet to be born. Wings changed to arms in the span of a breath.

“See? There’s a lot of minor details to even make the most miniscule transformation, but the basic principle is the same.”

“Brother has great skill!” Xiao Jingrui nervously reported, faking joy the only way he knew how. “Unlike me...”

“So you need to visualise the  _xiao_ flute which you once were,” Gong Dan explained, moving towards a nearby bamboo shaft and lifting a clawed hand. “Mouthpiece, reed, sound holes, tassels if any, shaft.”

The hand swung down, and snapped the thick trunk in half, to Jingrui’s shocked eyes. The bamboo was fingered, drilled with nails, scratched and knifed with Gong Dan’s thumbnail before he swung the entire impromptu flute towards Jingrui, stopping right before he hit the young man’s face. “Get to it.”

The eldest young master of the Xiao family was thus stuck trying to whistle a tune next to a small stream as Gong Dan fished with a rod cut from the same bamboo thicket.

“Brother... you’re actually an assassin, right?” Jingrui decided to take a breath.

“Yes,” Gong Dan agreed with a cheerfulness that belied the answer which he gave. Xiao Jingrui was not even offended – he had now recognised the difference in moral values which demons held from polite society. “I’m going to retire after this job though. Killing in a temple... this kind of karma has a way of getting back to the family.”

“Who are you going to kill?”

“A baby. He was born yesterday, right at the lightning strike.” Gong Dan was more absorbed in fishing out a carp that he did not even notice Xiao Jingrui’s stiffened posture. “Some Court official paid the highest price to kill his wife’s unborn child. Well, she’s a princess, of course she can damn well cheat whoever she likes, but the poor child... it’s mixed up with another kid now.”

“T- This...” Xiao Jingrui’s hands balled into fists. “Then do you know whose child is whose?”

“I don’t.” The admission came quietly. “We’ll have to depend on the  _momo_ to help us. Infants can die suddenly – it’s not exactly strange... oh, sorry, Little Xiao.” He flashed a quick smile towards Xiao Jingrui. “You came from up there, it must be strange to talk about killing.”

Xiao Jingrui traced the handle of the sword at his waist carefully. “What... are you planning to do?”

“The baby must disappear.”

“An innocent life-” Xiao Jingrui started.

“You just fell from the heavens. Whatever morals they practice up there – it’s no longer feasible on earth. What do you know about innocent lives? Are the lives of my family not important?”

Xiao Jingrui fell silent at the rebuke, however gently it was delivered.

Gong Dan grilled fish over the fire on bamboo skewers. Taking one particularly large carp, it shifted in his hands to the approximate size and shape of a human baby – wrinkly, smelled like milk, and crying.

“It’s not so bad,” Gong Dan stabbed the tips of his right index and middle fingers on the baby’s forehead, leaving only a red dot between its brows. “That’s the killing mark of Yeying Palace – a fast aneurysm at the head. See?” And the simulacrum fell back to the ground.

“I don’t see how you can kill so easily.”

“Then don’t.”

Gong Dan started to take fast bites from his own carp, tearing through the skin and bones to swallow the hunks of flesh he had torn. He dropped his skewer once it was done back into the fire. “The rest are yours. Looks like our coincidental meeting ends here, Little Xiao.”

“Brother Gong! Brother-” Xiao Jingrui shivered as large wings almost slapped him aside, and Gong Dan took flight to the skies so fast that the bonfire scattered embers everywhere. “Oi! You- watch the fire!”

Xiao Jingrui sighed, already resigned to cleaning up the bonfire and the rest of the fish after his meal before going back to watch the temple. If he could stop Gong Dan...

In the midst of burying the bonfire, Xiao Jingrui paused. “Wait... one of those babies is me. The other baby... is the other baby... then... That baby dying wasn’t because of sudden death, but- a Court _official_.”

The curtain of night fell over Mt Rui as Xiao Jingrui hurried to the temple. As the temple bell tolled, and the _twang_ of a string resounded, a lull fell with the blue hour over his surroundings, immersing the entire mountain awash in twilight. A song began to sing:

“ _My child, my child, why are you so bad…?_ ”

Gong Dan strode out of the temple’s main entrance as twilight continued. There were two straps on him. One led to his front, where his fingers strummed a moon lute.

The other led to his back, where a bundle shuddered.

“ _Good, good, come back quickly,_ ” Gong Dan had finished the first part, and he stepped over the threshold. “ _My arms are always open for you… good, good, you need to sincerely change for the better… you will always be my most beloved child..._ ”3

The moon lute was worked over. Even Jingrui found himself unable to move or react under the song, some incantation which froze his limbs that, even in his hindsight, could not compel Jingrui to change the past at all. All this time, Gong Dan kept walking and playing his lute, the bundle shuddering on his back.

“ _Good, good, come back quickly,_ ” Gong Dan continued as he walked towards the bamboo thicket, never seeing Jingrui in the twilight. “ _You need to work hard, to prepare for the future… Later, you’ll need to be a filial child… Actually humans are born kind, like children..._ ”4

He stopped playing.

A scream came from the temple – the baby’s death or disappearance, Jingrui could not help but rush into the main hall, blinking at the two women.

“One of them is dead!”

In the dimness of indoors and candlelight, there were two weeping women, each holding a baby. Nobody quite noticed Jingrui barging into the temple – the maids and older women were all busy, and it was too dark.

“Dead? But-”

Xiao Jingrui turned on one heel and ran out of the temple, making a quick dash with his footwork towards the direction Gong Dan escaped to. He passed by a river, where a shadow stooped, and there Xiao Jingrui tripped over his own feet in shock.

There were two shadows over the river. One was Gong Dan on the bank. The other was Miss Lí, standing on the river surface. She bobbed with each wave passing under her feet.

“I know you don’t like the Hua tribe,” Gong Dan was saying, unknowing of the listener of their conversation. “But you don’t have to sabotage me like this, right?”

“The earth deity of Mt Rui called me,” Miss Lí glared back. “I thought, why would a bird demon hang around Mt Rui? So it was you. Was that your target?”

“...and? What if it is?”

“Today I’m filling in for the river deity. You still have to tell me, Gong Dan.”

The assassin wilted. “...it’s bad karma. Our child will have it hard enough as it is. The sins of the parent should not carry to the child… and I am due for retirement anyway.”

Both demons looked down.

Miss Lí stooped down, scooping up a hastily woven basket of reeds. “I would have thought that you were trying to drown the boy,” she murmured, looking down at it.

The set of Gong Dan’s shoulders relaxed. “You’ll take him away from here?”

“You fail as a demon.”

This reply drew a chuckle from Gong Dan. “You’re right… I fail as a demon. The world of demons has no place for me now, just like how the world of humans cannot accept this child.”

“...this child is now part of the world of demons.”

“Many thanks to Miss Lí.”

Gong Dan watched as she melted away into the mist above the river, taking the baby with her. A flutter of wings, and a dark nightingale took to the skies.

Hiding behind a tree, Xiao Jingrui hid his tear-stained eyes in his hands. “The baby… the carp...”

* * *

Two or more decades later would still see the Xie Manor besieged. A green mist in its environs led people away, and kept its contents isolated from the rest of Jinling, perhaps even the world itself.

Blood now stained the walls of its courtyard. Talismans of yellow paper covered in esoteric charms written in vermilion ink otherwise limited to imperial use covered the blood, and then caught fire under mysterious causes.

A whirlwind in grey deflected the talismans away from himself as he took on three older men at once. One had a reedy beard and used a spear – the Marquess of Ning, Xie Yu. One was a fierce warrior with a sword of iron – master of the Tianquan Manor, Zhuo Dingfeng. The last man held a peach-wood sword in hand, and tossed talismans at his opponent from time to time – the Marquis Yan Que.

Their opponent was winning.

The grey whirlwind fell back from a fiery talisman tossed at him, easily showing the young man in grey robes who had fought all three in a stalemate. “Zhuo Dingfeng! Thousand Autumns Pavilion has no grievance or animosity with you, why did you not only burn our shophouse, but also decapitate my mother?”

Still breathing calmly despite the exertion, Yan Que gave a look towards an ashen-faced Zhuo Dingfeng. “It looks like Old Master Zhuo has stepped on a hornet’s nest.”

Xie Yu had a complicated expression on his face. “Demon spawn! As you straddle the boundaries of the pugilist world and the secular world, you should know the rules. Your personal injustices should be settled by the rules of the pugilist world that Brother Zhuo inhabits!”

“Everyone knows that the Xie and Zhuo clans have a close relationship,” the man in grey shot back. “The demons in the pugilist world are the well water to the river water that is the Zhuo family – we do not mix. It is only this matter of Young Master Xiao that we were forced to carry out the task we were paid to do by our clients. Those who interrupt the course of our duties will face Madame Jiang’s wrath… no matter their background or location.”

Faced with two marquises and one pugilist, most demons would have fallen back, but it was clear that this was not an ordinary situation. A normal demon, once offended, had a personal grievance but could not stir up too much trouble. Even if they had, most trouble could be swept under the rug.

Xie Yu frowned. “Brother Zhuo… you could have waited for me to return and settle this matter. Burning down Thousand Autumns Pavilion? That alone… you decapitated one of their workers?”

“It is my mistake,” Zhuo Dingfeng admitted, already struck dumb by the sheer resources committed to this attempt on his life. “What manner of demon is Madame Jiang? To have such power… where are the Capital Guards? When will they come?”

“The Xie Manor is not in Jinling tonight,” Yan Que stated, drawing everyone’s attention. “Madame Jiang used her Clam Building in the Sea City to hide this manor and give this young man time to murder everyone.”

“Attempting to kill a government official is already a capital crime, but the Grand Princess Liyang is here too!” Xie Yu exclaimed. “Is he brave enough to kill relatives of the imperial family?! Our Great Liang’s foremost _Daoshi_ , the Marquis Yan, is also here!”

Yan Que looked away from the nondescript man in grey to give Xie Yu a flat look. “We can only buy time until sunrise.”

He then turned back to the young man. “Young man, how is your honoured mother?”

“Alive. No thanks to him,” the assassin scoffed at Zhuo Dingfeng.

“Madame Jiang Gé, Jiang Beike, has gained much prestige and wealth from the right to set up a residence in Jinling,” the Marquis Yan continued. “The burning of Thousand Autumns Pavilion is a small matter, but the loss of face is not. Is it really worth that loss of face to do this? Once this matter gets out, it is Thousand Autumns Pavilion who will lose against the Emperor’s will, against this shame of the imperial family and its relatives.”

A beat of silence.

“Of course, Madame Jiang probably knows this logic more than I do,” Yan Que contemplated. “So let us consider a different perspective. Assuming that this succeeds, what will stop the imperial wrath from descending upon the demons of Jinling? Madame Jiang is only one of many.”

At this, the young man laughed, and the sound brought a frown to the Marquis Yan’s aged eyebrows. “ _Daoshi_. Your Emperor is too busy guarding against us, he would not attack us for no reason. Not unlike some random person whose family paid for the results.”

“Indeed. I should have given my personal assurances to Old Master Zhuo.” Yan Que hummed. “The nature of demons are too deep to estimate, but I know something about Madame Jiang. Simple revenge does not merit such an elaborate trap.”

“It is the course of our duties.” The young man cheerfully admitted. “Madame Jiang announced it a few hours before Your Excellency the Marquis Yan came. In exchange for a thousand taels of gold, the Southern Chu Prince of Chen Yuwen Lin gave Madame Jiang two duties: first, protect his daughter in and out of Great Liang. Second, identify his son with Grand Princess Liyang via the new paternity test, and escort the child as quickly as the laws and ordinances of Chu allows into Chu territory.”

“And have you identified him?”

“Young Master Xiao Jingrui is to be collected.”

“A- A pack of lies!” Xie Yu grimaced. “How can a pack of demons be allowed to take any child in and out of the Liang capital?! Much less, this allegation against my wife is intolerable!”

“For a doomed kingdom, does it matter if we massacre you now, or massacre you later?” The young man cheerfully dropped this bomb, shocking the three listeners.

The young man leapt. He would have leapt, were it not for a clap of thunder, a flash of sparks, and a shadow of red.

Xiao Jingrui hit the ground feet-first, a shadow of billowing robes settling to face all three elders, his back to the demonic invader. His sword drawn, he looked like some guardian deity descended from the heavens.

His sword then hit the earth. His knees then followed. Blood spattered the ground.

Xie Yu stepped back.

“J- Jingrui?” Zhuo Dingfeng gasped.

“My child, my child… why are you so bad?” Xiao Jingrui spoke as tears washed the blood off of his face. “To oppress and lie, why have you done all this?”

“What?!” Xie Yu sounded even more surprised than Zhuo Dingfeng.

A scream of fear echoed, and Mrs Zhuo ran out to behold the scene. “J- Jingrui? That song…”

“ _Learn to be a good child, learn to love..._ ” Xiao Jingrui continued to chant. “ _Caring for others is in your heart... full of colour..._ ”

“That song… that demonic song…!”

“ _Good, good, come back quickly,_ ” someone else took over the song’s chorus. Gong Yu floated past the gates of the Xie Manor, her ethereal beauty laced with some demonic charm. “ _My arms are always open for you… good, good, you need to sincerely change for the better… you will always be my most beloved child..._ ”

She drew a choking breath.

“My father’s song...”

* * *

**1Another Chinese honorific:  老身 (lao shen), usually employed by elderly women.**

**2Yeying  夜莺 refers to the common nightingale. Gong Dan (宫鴠) also refers to a type of nightingale.**

****3 乖乖, 你快回來  
我懷抱一直為你打開  
乖乖, 要真心悔改  
你永遠是我最愛的小孩

****4 乖乖,你快回來  
要努力學習為了未來  
回頭,做孝順的小孩  
本來人心都是善良,像小孩


	32. 甲午: Loss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There was a difference between humans and ghosts, which made the former fear the latter. Humans could feel regret, because of fallacious beliefs that somewhere, they had made the wrong decisions and could die.
> 
> Ghosts, on the other hand, were already dead. Ghosts could only feel vengeance.

#  甲午: Loss

Lin Chen had given this frank assessment via channelling, months before his plans for Xiao Jingrui’s birthday party had to be dealt with another way: “If you want to change the succession of Great Liang, you need to deal with the demons.”

Lin Chen had elaborated further: “Official histories doesn’t mention about the hand of demons, but you have to remember who is writing that history; for example, Jiyue Hall’s Jiang Beike alone has a history all the way back to the Zhou dynasty. Demons and Fangshi like your Grand Duke- sorry, Prince Jing, they are enemies who cannot live under the same skies, because demons cause harm to humans and _Fangshi_ are the ones who most commonly fight demons. A _Fangshi_ ascending to the throne is arguably the least promising prospect that any demon of influence wants.”

“Jingyan is too straightforward to allow anything to harm the citizenry,” Mei Changsu agreed. “The True Dragon Son of Heaven has a royal air which no demon can easily approach – this was the reason why, in legends, the goddess Nüwa had to send the fox demoness Da Ji to seduce the Shang king first. Even if the existence of demons lends power and wisdom to the court, in troubled times demons are the first things that hasten the kingdom’s downfall.”

It was probably important to differentiate between benign and malignant demons. Under different conditions, the coexistence of completely different species of sentient peoples would even be possible. However, Mei Changsu was not altogether convinced that now was the time – Great Liang’s foundations were still on the order and law of humans, and not the chaos and uncertainty which followed demons. For fickle peoples who could outlive the very kingdoms that they lived in, their interests would always take precedence over the welfare of the population; a dangerous recipe.

“Look at Jiang Beike, and how many kingdoms she has outlived,” he sighed. “Such an entity must be driven out of Jinling at worst…Xia Jiang cannot be completely ignorant.”

“So there are two possibilities. One, Jiang Beike has dirt on Xia Jiang,” Lin Chen held up one finger. “Considering the royal massacre in Northern Zhou nearly twenty years ago being done on the order of someone in Great Liang, it’s possible that the Emperor, Xia Jiang, and the Marquis Yan were all involved then. The second possibility is the opposite; Xia Jiang is the one with dirt on Jiang Beike~”

“...you do not sound certain about the second possibility.”

“I’ve never met anyone so willing to discard anything which can prove a disadvantage as Jiang Beike,” Lin Chen laughed. “Langya Hall itself has its existence tied to demons. Changsu… what you need is to make Xia Jiang go after Jiang Beike, preferably with a reason that would get the Xuanjing Bureau against demons… _maybe_ involving Xie Yu.”

Hours later, a messenger was sent to the Marquis Yan’s Manor. It contained information about Xiao Jingrui, as well as the basic outlines of a plan. The rest of the details, Mei Changsu had written, would be left to the Marquis, since Mei Changsu could not intervene.

Marquis Yan Que and a ghost met eyes over the letter.

The Marquis was the first to sigh. “Manipulating a demon… Beike will find out.”

Lin Yueyao’s neck twisted a full three-hundred and sixty degrees, before she relaxed back. “Take the opportunity to pilfer a goat. We know that Jiang Beike has business in Southern Chu. Just nice, Jingrui’s birth father is in Southern Chu. We toss this out, Beike investigates, then Yan Que, you propose the concept of paternity tests. Thousand Autumns Pavilion will offer the tests, bringing them in direct conflict with Xie Yu. We sit back and watch the show, and Xie Yu will fall in a manner which is completely unrelated to the succession fight.”

There was a difference between humans and ghosts, which made the former fear the latter. Humans could feel regret, because of fallacious beliefs that somewhere, they had made the wrong decisions and could die.

Ghosts, on the other hand, were already dead. Ghosts could only feel vengeance.

* * *

Multiple arrangements therefore worked out to Xiao Jingrui travelling through time to see not just the Zhuo baby be hidden away – but still alive! – by the very demoness who would be decapitated by the baby’s birth father in the future. He would also see Gong Dan flee with his wife and child, hide them in a house of entertainment far away, and then face death still laughing and singing at the palpable fear from Xie Yu even as he died.

“ _My child, my child… why are you so bad..._ ”

Gong Dan’s daughter was Gong Yu, the leading lady of Miaoyin House. It was a very strange fate this night for Mrs Zhuo to run up and clutch Gong Yu’s hands.

“My son is alive? He is somewhere in the capital?!”

“Sister-in-law,” Xie Yu growled. “Demons lie and cheat.”

“Xie Yu, you know the song though I’ve never told you.” Mrs Zhuo’s jaw was twitching as she pointed an accusing finger at him. “Where else did you hear that?!”

Hence, come daybreak Xie Yu had long become disgraced. This matter, however, precipitated a different type of fallout as the Zhuo family of Tianquan Manor paid a visit to the Su house.

“The wrong of a child dead and a parent in ignorance of the deed hardens the heart,” Mei Changsu accepted after listening to Mrs Zhuo’s pleas. In the background, the Zhou father and son looked as though their innards had gone green with regret. “To have turned your hand against Miss Lí, though... her son works for Prince Jing.”

“Prince Jing?” Zhuo Dingfeng echoed. “His character is firm – he would not make trouble for us for the face of his subordinates’ family.”

“On that I agree with you,” Mei Changsu nodded to Zhuo Dingfeng, calm despite the relatively sweltering heat of his study. “The matter, however, does not impact only Prince Jing. The fact remains that, having rescued... the Second Young Master Zhuo... Miss Lí has every reason not to divulge the whereabouts of the child. Let me remind you that twenty years have passed too, and the child is long grown. Furthermore... the demons of Thousand Autumns Pavilion are skilled in swapping skins, as I am informed.”

A deep breath. “I am sorry, Master Zhuo, Madam Zhuo. As long as she lives, Miss Lí has every reason never to loosen her tongue on this matter. She can outlive anything normal humans like us can throw, and there is nothing we have to turn the tables. The child... is lost.”

“This...” Mrs Zhuo’s face hardened. “You will not help me find my son? My poor son stood in for Jingrui. Is this not enough reason to ask Chief Mei?”

“Enough!” Zhuo Dingfeng bellowed, breaking the tense atmosphere. “I apologise for my wife, Chief Mei. We have transgressed boundaries in this matter.”

“No... it is troublesome for everyone of us,” The lines of Mei Changsu’s face seemed to deepen in shadow. “The bond of parent and child is one of the five fundamental bonds of the human world, and to have that bond broken so terribly, without any knowledge... demons are cruel, but it is human action which begot this chain of events. My sympathies, hence, are entirely with the Madam Zhuo.”

Madam Zhuo let out a short cry.


End file.
